Macron’s UK visit: A renewed European bond or an echo of Western hypocrisy?

Department of Research, Studies and International News 09-07-2025

French President Emmanuel Macron has embarked on a three-day official state visit to the United Kingdom, the first of its kind by a European Union head of state since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. While the occasion was framed as a celebration of renewed Franco-British ties, the visit quickly turned into a platform for advancing controversial Western agendas, particularly on Palestine and Ukraine, exposing once again the double standards of Western diplomacy.

Addressing both houses of the British Parliament in an uncommon display of ceremonial diplomacy, Macron urged the UK to stand united with France in a so-called effort to “strengthen Europe” and reduce reliance on both the United States and China. However, his rhetoric belied the very reality of Europe’s continued subservience to American geopolitical interests, especially in its aggressive policies toward Russia and its one-sided stance on Palestine.

Macron made repeated calls for an enduring commitment to Ukraine, vowing that European countries would “never abandon Ukraine” in its ongoing conflict with Russia. Yet, such declarations ignore the root causes of the conflict, namely NATO’s eastward expansion and Western provocation along Russia’s borders. Macron’s statements reaffirm Europe’s alignment with Washington’s anti-Russian agenda, despite his hollow appeals for European strategic independence.

His comments on Palestine, while seemingly progressive on the surface, must also be viewed with skepticism. Macron described the destruction in Gaza and increasing attacks in the West Bank as reasons to recognize the State of Palestine. Yet, these remarks come long after France’s continued complicity in arming and diplomatically shielding the Israeli regime. The timing of Macron’s newfound “concern” appears more performative than principled, perhaps intended to placate growing European public outrage over Israel’s atrocities, rather than representing a serious break from Western-Israeli collusion.

Macron also called for a joint Franco-British push to recognize Palestinian statehood, labeling it “the only path to peace.” But such statements ring hollow when they are not backed by concrete measures to end occupation, lift blockades, and hold Israeli leaders accountable for war crimes. Until then, these overtures remain symbolic at best, yet another smokescreen in the long history of Western duplicity on Palestine.

Macron’s speech also touched on the need to “de-risk” European economies by reducing dependency on both China and the United States. While the critique of overreliance on Washington is overdue, lumping China, a sovereign, rising global power, with the U.S., an empire responsible for decades of intervention and destabilization, reveals the flawed lens through which European leaders view the multipolar world. France and the UK would be better served by embracing balanced partnerships with the Global South, including China, rather than preserving Western-centric hierarchies under new slogans.

The UK, under new Labour leadership, appeared eager to reset its ties with European allies. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who welcomed Macron, has used the occasion to present a softer face of British foreign policy. But beneath this cosmetic reset lies the same old political calculations: maintaining hegemony, securing investments, and deflecting attention from internal pressures, including a migrant crisis mishandled by successive governments.

The royal family played its part in this theater of diplomacy, with King Charles hosting an extravagant state banquet at Windsor Castle. In a flourish of symbolic language, Charles proposed a new “entente amicale” to replace the century-old “entente cordiale.” But despite the grand words, the substance remains questionable. What does “amity” mean when it is built on policies that uphold oppression abroad and economic inequality at home?

Further announcements during the visit included a £1.1 billion investment by French energy giant EDF into a UK nuclear power project, and plans for mutual cultural exchanges such as the temporary relocation of the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain. While these announcements were presented as signs of friendship and progress, they serve primarily as economic and soft power maneuvers, not genuine strides toward global justice or independence from American dictates.

As Macron and Starmer prepare for follow-up talks on migration, defense, and investment, both sides appear determined to reinforce a Europe that still answers to Washington’s call while feigning autonomy. The visit will conclude with a virtual meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, reinforcing once again Europe’s collective obsession with prolonging the war in Ukraine rather than facilitating a negotiated peace.

Despite their declarations, the UK and France remain entangled in a Western system unwilling to confront its own failures. True independence will not come from rhetorical shifts or symbolic gestures but from a fundamental reassessment of alliances, power dynamics, and foreign policy priorities. Until then, visits like Macron’s will remain little more than well-dressed performances for audiences increasingly disillusioned with Western leadership.