French President Fires Back At President Trump, Defends The Security Of France

French president Francois Hollande fired back at Donald Trump during his speech at an agricultural trade fair a few weeks ago. This followed after the United States (US) President Donald Trump remarked that ‘Paris is no longer Paris’ following the attacks by Islamist militants. The French President’s comment was preceded by a rebuke from the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who also publicly defended the nation’s security.

During his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump reinforced his disapproval of Europe’s method of handling the attacks by Islamist militants by recounting how his friend “Jim” no longer felt safe taking his family to Paris. In response, Hollande called for Trump to reinforce his support for US allies, rather than generate opposition. Hollande reiterated that “it is never good to show the smallest defiance toward an allied country”, before affirming that Trump’s open defiance would not be something the French would ever consider doing to the US.

Hollande acknowledged that terrorism is present within the European region, with over 230 people having died in a series of assaults since the beginning of 2015. The French president, however, was quick to point out the absence of “people with guns opening fire on the crowd simply for the satisfaction of causing drama and tragedy” in Europe, unlike the US. Objectively, such a remark from Hollande may indicate the beginning of what may be hostile relations between the French and the US. This possibility, however, was publicly dismissed with Hollande emphasizing that “there is terrorism and we must fight it together.” In light of these events, it is necessary for these global leaders to focus on maintaining cordial relations in the interest of preserving world peace, to avoid the possibility of generating resentment between allied nations.

Maneesha Gopalan

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