The street disorders that have shaken France for days have had far-reaching diplomatic consequences. The situation of chaos has led to the postponement of nothing less than the first visit abroad by Charles III since he acceded to the throne of England, an important trip to consolidate the rapprochement between Paris and London after the strong tensions of Brexit.
The cancellation of the visit, which is postponed and will be rescheduled – initially for early summer, if both schedules allow it – was announced yesterday by the Élysée after a telephone conversation between Macron and Carlos III himself. The French head of state was in Brussels to attend the European Council.
The forced change of plans was a blow to France's high self-esteem and to the internal and external image of Macron, who appears at the head of a country overwhelmed by social anger and fractured. He demonstrates the seriousness of the crisis. Carlos III had decided that France was his first destination, before flying to Berlin. The visit to Germany does continue as planned.
The monarch of the United Kingdom was due to arrive in Paris this Sunday. A ceremony was scheduled before the tomb of the unknown soldier, at the Arc de Triomphe, a visit to the Musée d'Orsay and a gala dinner on Monday at the Palace of Versailles.
The timing was very inopportune and embarrassing. It posed a security risk for travel, extra work for a police force that could not cope, and political discomfort for Macron. He was to host nothing less than the quintessential setting of the French absolute monarchy.
Carlos III had to travel to Bordeaux, whose City Council was the victim on Thursday of a fire caused by protesters at the monumental front door of the historic building.
During a press conference in Brussels, Macron confirmed that he had proposed the postponement. "We would not be serious and we would lack a certain good sense if we proposed to her majesty and the queen consort to come to make this state visit at a time of demonstrations." The president recalled that there is another day of protests called for Tuesday, March 28.
"As we have a lot of friendship, respect and esteem for his majesty the King, for the queen consort and for the British people, I took the initiative to call him," added the Élysée tenant. For Macron, the "abhorrent" thing would have been to allow him to come and witness incidents. The logical thing is that the visit occurs "when calm returns." The president did not enter the rag when a British journalist asked him if canceling the King's visit for not being able to guarantee his safety was not "a total humiliation for France."
The strikes had endangered that Carlos III would have the red carpet rolled out, due to lack of personnel, that he would take a TGV to Bordeaux, as was the will of the sovereign ecologist, or that he would get on a tram in that city, as was had planned.
Yesterday was a day to assess the damage caused by the riots on Thursday, the most serious since the protests against the two-year delay in the retirement age began. The injured policemen numbered in the hundreds, as well as the arrests. The streets of Paris protagonists of the riots offered a deplorable appearance. Many neighbors were busy cleaning up and picking up the remains of the battle.
One of the concerns now is the fuel supply. Police arrived at the TotalEnergies refinery at Gonfreville-l'Orcher in Normandy at 4am to disperse the union members and ensure that four workers could enter to operate the taps in the kerosene tanks and that the trucks They could load the fuel. These minimum essential personnel were forced to work by an extraordinary order of the prefect, provided for by law, given the emergency circumstances.
Kerosene reserves at Paris airports are minimal, to the point that the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has asked airlines to fill the tanks of planes abroad if possible so as not to have to refuel in France.
Macron, in his statements from Brussels, was willing to meet with union leaders to discuss improvements for older employees and other proposals he made during the controversial televised interview last Wednesday. But he refused to rethink the pension reform, which is only now pending examination by the Constitutional Council to be enacted.
Faced with criticism for some actions of disproportionate police repression, Macron defended the conduct of the majority of law enforcement and highlighted the difficult conditions in which they carry out their work.
Just yesterday the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, expressed her alarm at the police harshness. “There were violent incidents, including those suffered by law enforcement, but sporadic acts of violence by some protesters or other reprehensible acts committed by others in the course of the demonstration should not justify excessive use of force by officers. of the state,” Mijatovic pointed out. Nor do these acts justify depriving peaceful protesters of enjoying the right to freedom of assembly.”
