Do the French just not like us?
Johnson seems to have got a much more sympathetic, dare I say, friendly reception from Angela Merkel recently than from President Macron.
Interesting, given that Macron once admitted that even France would “probably” have voted to leave the EU if given the chance: Marine Le Pen, his great antagonist, has talked about giving people that choice. Understandably, Macron needs to put people off this idea. So he must show that the EU does not bend when threatened and that countries who break away face isolation and political ruin.
Angela Merkel is more pragmatic. The Germans worry not just about the disruption, but about losing Britain to America’s diplomatic orbit – hence her suggestion that she is open to a better Brexit deal. Why lose jobs, or trade, if there is an alternative?
If there is to be any hope of avoiding a disastrous crashing out, I would pin my hopes on Merkel, rather than Macron.
