A bit of a diplomatic shake-up
Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump’s awkward meeting may be symbolic of future US-EU relations
This is how it went down: US President Donald Trump and France’s newly elected president, Emmanuel Macron, met in Brussels. The stage was set with French and US flags, and the two leaders reached out to each other for a handshake.But it was to be no ordinary handshake. For one thing, it went on and on. And Trump attempted on at least two occasions to pull out of the shake, but his fingers were in Macron’s vice and the shaking continued.Afterwards, there was a moment of truly French politics, with Macron explaining to the Journal du Dimanche: "My handshake with him, it’s not innocent. It’s not the alpha and omega of politics, but a moment of truth. We must show that we will not make small concessions, even symbolic ones."Reuters reporter Steve Holland observed: "The photogs noticed that Trump and Macron were gripping their hands hard ... Trump [seemed] to just want his hand back."So, what did it all mean? One explanation would be that Trump wanted a brief and meaningless shake but Ma...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.