Emperor Napoleon declared in the 18th century, “He who controls Trincomalee controls the Indian Ocean.” In 1782, Emperor Napoleon dispatched a French army to capture Trincomalee port. But it failed. Although French President Macron visited Sri Lanka last Friday, it is unclear whether he is eyeing Trincomalee. He spoke about French power in the Indo-Pacific region before and after his visit to Sri Lanka, and why the Indo-Pacific region should not be turned into a geo political game between America and China.
Macron came to Sri Lanka after visiting several countries including Papua New Guinea. He went to those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region as the first time a French president visited those countries. It was called a historic visit by those countries. Sri Lanka’s Presidential Secretariat also termed the French President’s visit as a historic visit. The foreign media thought that the French President would go to Colombo from Katunayaka. But he stayed at Katunayake airport and Ranil went and met him.
The French President’s stopover in Sri Lanka showed that he is looking for international allies for his international agenda. Sri Lankan President Ranil tried to show Sri Lanka that he succeeded in bringing the French President to Sri Lanka for the first time in history, and because of him, the French President has a special interest on Sri Lanka. The truth is that the French president is in a big mess in France. It is clear when one look at the following ‘The Guardian’ report.
‘As France was commemorating the end of the second world war in Europe this month, Emmanuel Macron cut an isolated figure on a near-empty Champs-Elysées, surrounded by steel security barriers to prevent any member of the public from getting within shouting, let alone pot-banging, distance
For the first time, and by police order the French people were barrred from a large area ringing the official 8 May remembrance of the liberation. Six years after his first presidential victory and a year after winning a second term in the Elysée, Macron can scarcely show his face in public without being booed, heckled or insulted.
Our youngest-ever president – who once embodied hope, triumphantly defeated the far right and claimed to have broken the political mould by rising above traditional divides – has gone from being admired to being despised. Macron’s decision to push through an increase in the state pension age from 62 to 64, despite a huge groundswell of opposition, has created unprecedented levels of anger across the country – most of it directed at the president himself.
It is not the first time that a French president has had to face the people’s wrath: Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande and Jacques Chirac were in their day also publicly insulted. But none experienced such an extensive collapse of respect. More than 70% of the electorate disapprove of Macron have been on some of the recent protests, and understand why so much of the frustration is focused on the president personally.
The strength of feeling is neither disproportionate nor unfair. Macron’s electioneering catchphrase in 2017 was that France needed a “Jupiter-like” head of state, Jupiter being “not just a god, but the king of gods”. In office, he has duly exercised power in a top-down and highly self-centred manner. It is hard to disconnect this from the instinct to hold him personally responsible for the government’s actions.
Macron lacks a majority in parliament, so got his way only by invoking constitutional exemptions. Article 49.3, which allows the executive to enact laws without a parliamentary vote, was the spark that started the fire. He can hardly have been surprised that defying the millions of people who were taking to the streets (78% had expressed their opposition to the use of article 49.3) would be interpreted as a provocation.’
The French president is looking for an international role to unravel his mess. Ranil sells international relations to his survival in Sri Lanka. Chandrika Kumaratunga was the Sri Lankan leader who closely associated with the leaders of France. During her official tenure, she visited France three times and met the French President on their invitation. France gave her a warm welcome during her visit in 2005. Looking at it this way, Macron’s visit does not seem historic.
