When France woke up on the morning of Wednesday, November 6, Donald Trump was already well on his way to winning the presidency of the United States, eight years after his first election victory. By dawn, there was no longer any room for suspense in Paris. Shortly before 8 am, the pro-Trump Fox News channel announced the billionaire's triumph, while in the middle of the night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted: "Game, set and match."
Nothing was yet official, but President Emmanuel Macron, seemingly forgetting the traditional diplomatic caution and consideration due to Democrat Kamala Harris, greeted the Republican's arrival at the White House shortly before 9 am. "Congratulations President Donald Trump. Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity," commented the French president on X, some 30 minutes after the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban jumped the gun and announced how happy he was with the American president's "comeback."
The victory of the preacher of "America first," who has little regard for democratic rules or verbal politeness, has most of France's politicians in a state of dread. "What a catastrophe," "mind-boggling," said sources close to ex-prime minister Gabriel Attal and Macron. On the geopolitical front, the fate of Ukraine and the financial aid the US provides to it is of particular concern. Eric Ciotti, the former leader of Les Républicains and an ally of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, was one of the rare to express delight: "Magnificent victory for the American people against the system. A hope for peace, a defeat for the wokists. A path for the right in France and in Europe. All the way to victory."
Macron, like some members of Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government, is promoting the theory that Trump could, through his outrageousness and isolationism, contribute to Europe's resurgence. The most optimistic among them believe that Trump's expected hostility could convince Germany to let the European Union (EU) spend massively to orchestrate its defense and solidify its economy. "I've just spoken with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, we're going to work for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context. By cooperating with the US and defending our interests and our values," Macron was quick to insist on X on Wednesday morning.
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