Macron's state visit.

He's such a great orator.
I agree. It's impressive how he moves swiftly and effortlessly from subject to subject, but leaves no stone unturned. And in a foreign language too. I noticed lots of emphasis on the future and new generations. He doesn't want to let up.
He deserves his banquet or whatever this evening.

I don't know if you were here in Covid escaped, but whenever he spoke to the nation, I always felt we were in very safe hands. The implemention was incredibly paperwork heavy (quelle surprise), but you knew exactly what you could and couldn't do. The strategy of getting children back in school as soon as possible seems to have paid off.

Mamie

I don't know if you were here in Covid escaped, but whenever he spoke to the nation, I always felt we were in very safe hands. The implemention was incredibly paperwork heavy (quelle surprise), but you knew exactly what you could and couldn't do. The strategy of getting children back in school as soon as possible seems to have paid off.

Lucky you!

We were stuck with Johnson throughout Covid!

Go to work; don’t go to work; stay at home; don’t stay at home; Christmas is on; Christmas is off; schools are open; schools are closed.

Grr, we didn’t know whether we were coming or bloody going

And then we were treated to the spectacle of parties in the garden and office.

LizzieDrip

Mamie

I don't know if you were here in Covid escaped, but whenever he spoke to the nation, I always felt we were in very safe hands. The implemention was incredibly paperwork heavy (quelle surprise), but you knew exactly what you could and couldn't do. The strategy of getting children back in school as soon as possible seems to have paid off.

Lucky you!

We were stuck with Johnson throughout Covid!

Go to work; don’t go to work; stay at home; don’t stay at home; Christmas is on; Christmas is off; schools are open; schools are closed.

Grr, we didn’t know whether we were coming or bloody going

Try Wales for conflicting messages!

“We’re all in this together” when restrictions were imposed across Wales because the south were experiencing difficulties and then north Wales alone suffered limits because only they had the highest figures…

Tories/Labour eh…

And Starmer wanted us to lock down for longer. I remember that …

So good to have you back FGT 🥰

Oh hello FGT, glad you are back.

I think it is inevitable that the two powerful European nuclear countries recognise that they must cooperate to build a unified Europe.

Getting along with our nearest neighbours is both desirable and sensible.

The madness appears to at last have disappeared.

I've only just seen the pictures. They all looked as if they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and liking each others company.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And Starmer wanted us to lock down for longer. I remember that …

Hello FGT

It wasn’t the length of lockdowns per se, as far as I was concerned. It was the not feeling like we were in safe hands - as the French seemed to feel with Macron.

Regarding hands I don't think Macron would have boasted about shaking peoples hands that possibly had covid either...

LizzieDrip

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And Starmer wanted us to lock down for longer. I remember that …

Hello FGT

It wasn’t the length of lockdowns per se, as far as I was concerned. It was the not feeling like we were in safe hands - as the French seemed to feel with Macron.

Yes that is spot on. It was chaotic and misinformed.

I would like him to explain what he has done with the £700 million we gave France to deal with the boat people.

Starmer is such a fool for giving all that money away to them for doing nothing at all. He is so wet.

I think you're all right to an extent, and it comes about because the French and British mentalities are so different. You simply wouldn't get a Macron in the UK, there's no point wishing it. Likewise you wouldn't find a Boris, Blair or Thatcher in France. Look how Churchill and De Gaulle were not compatible. What worked for one was the antithesis of the other.

I think this is because the French are more analytical. This stems from their education where certain attitudes are formed, and indeed taught, in the classroom. You could say creativity is actually stifled during the formative years in France.

We will never achieve total unity with the French people as both our make ups are quite different. Its fascinating how close we are geographically, but how far apart we are sometimes in the way our brains work.

Primrose53

I would like him to explain what he has done with the £700 million we gave France to deal with the boat people.

Starmer is such a fool for giving all that money away to them for doing nothing at all. He is so wet.

I think it was Sunak who gave the money to France?? But you're right, from what I see, the French have done next to nothing to deal with the problem.

Primrose53

I would like him to explain what he has done with the £700 million we gave France to deal with the boat people.

Starmer is such a fool for giving all that money away to them for doing nothing at all. He is so wet.

We also gave away our right to return people to France because of brexit. So maybe brexit voters were a bit wet too....

Never been a big fan of Macron but I'd swap him for Starmer in a heartbeat

It's a good time to try to get closer ties with france, we do have so much in common with them.
I thik the relationship's been loaded with jealousy for the last 100 years, going both ways. But both countries have lost a lot in the last 100 years, global power-wise and yet both are still countries that many people want to come to and many states aspire to emulate. I'd rather have a "special relationship" with France then with the USA, that's for sure.

It has got to be better to cooperate rather than divide.

History has told us time and again that division never benefits anyone, but cooperate and you end up so much stronger.

This really isn’t about leaders, but about the future of our countries. Focusing just on leaders is a tad parochial. We have a choice - work with those countries nearest to us both geographically and culturally, as well as countries like Canada and Australasia etc. or take our chance on our own, which given the state of the world is almost suicidal. We can never trust the USA as we did in the past, and an arms length relationship seems sensible at present.

We may be the country nearest to France, but culturally not so. I'd put Ireland, The Netherlands and Scandinavian countries before France. Even Northern Italy is closer to us culturally than France is.
What we do have in common, however, and was alluded to in the speech, is that France and UK are the two superpowers in Europe in many ways.

We can never trust the USA as we did in the past
I think that was hinted at too in the speech. Tarrifs??

I really meant European culture as a whole , not individual countries.

We have a shared history and development.

Maybe we could play a sort of GN Bingo......Slagging off Starmer, small boats,Mms Macron's outfits.
One point each.

Anything more substantive 2 points?

True, but Europe, hardly shows itself to think in a joined up way at all.