US-France/EU ties : America now holding the cards

WITH their common revolutionary histories and shared universal values based on the commitment to individual rights, the Americans and the French regard each other as their “oldest ally”.

Hence the square facing directly north of the White House is named after the Marquis de Lafayette, the famous French aristocrat and hero of the American Revolutionary War, and includes his statue as well as those of other revolutionary heroes from Europe who had fought on the American side against the British.

This old Franco-American bond was celebrated last Thursday night (Dec 1) when French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden toasted each other during the White House’s first state dinner in more than three years.