Since Emmanuel Macron became president last year, he has unashamedly courted the world’s presidents, prime ministers, sheiks and chancellors. Much like Trump, his message has been clear: France is not only back, but it is great again.
Trump and Macron will have the chance to discuss their strategies later this month when the American president hosts his 40-year-old French counterpart on the first official state visit by a foreign leader since his election. They first bonded in July when Trump was invited to Paris to revel in the pomp and ceremony of Bastille Day, against the grand historical backdrop of the Palace of Versailles, with all of its symbolism of French victory.
But while Trump’s approach has involved talk of fire and fury, Macron has adopted a gentler, more refined tactic. It seems to be working: according to the Soft Power 30 index, compiled by the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy, France has now overtaken the USA to become the world’s greatest soft power, and that was before Macron’s recent announcement that he will spend €1.5
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