At a time when the European continent is experiencing violent economic shocks and an unprecedented energy crisis, French diplomacy continues its usual stumbling between narrow calculations and fleeting partisan bidding. While French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to the Gulf region in search of a drop of oil or a barrel of gas to meet the needs of French power plants, he could simply have reached out to an African and Mediterranean neighbor that possesses massive reserves and a strategic geographical location just a stone's throw away. But "realpolitik" here has fallen victim to "diplomatic adolescence" calculations.
Flight to the horizon... and ignoring the immediate neighborhood Traveling long distances to secure energy supplies, while Algeria – the closest neighbor and historical partner – holds the keys to the energy solution in North Africa, clearly reflects the scale of the tactical crisis suffered by the Élysée Palace. Macron deliberately turned his back on the African continent, and Algeria in particular, yielding to the pressures of short-sighted political factions and defeated by the noise of the far-right, which uses gratuitous hostility as a means to gain votes. This flight forward does not express strength, but translates a clear political exhaustion lacking the basics of strategic foresight. Has the French President not realized that France's national and economic security must be built on sustainable, nearby partnerships, rather than on risky contracts subject to distant geopolitical fluctuations?
The lessons of Spain and Italy: knowing how to get the job done In contrast, influential European countries such as Spain and Italy have proven that political intelligence lies in prioritizing the supreme interests of the nation over fleeting populism. Rome and Madrid knew how to act; these two capitals dealt with a pragmatic state logic, weaving solid and stable energy partnerships with their southern shore, achieving their energy security with calmness and efficiency, far from the noise of populist rhetoric. As for Paris, under Macron's command, it preferred to bet on an eroded political capital, submitting to the blackmail of factions that care only about media hype and appeasing the mob, at the expense of the daily bread of the French citizen and the capabilities of its national industry.
Evaluation: child's play or strategic impotence? What Macron is doing today is nothing more than political "child's play," where the supreme interests of the country are sacrificed on the altar of partisan bidding and avoiding the requirement of diplomatic courage. Building France's economic future is not managed with a mentality of fleeing to the Gulf or by surrendering to the pressures of intellectual and political misfits at home. How long will French diplomacy remain a hostage to the recklessness of political adolescents, leaving treasures at its own doorstep only to wander off searching for them in a mirage?