Macron postpones the visit of Carlos III, but warns that he will not bow to violence

Images of violent protests against pension reform in France have traveled the world, damaging the country’s image and leaving significant collateral damage. President Emmanuel Macron was forced to postpone the state visit of King Carlos III yesterday due to the riots in Paris and other cities in recent days. He assured that from Brussels would not be “serious” and would lack “common sense” to ban Britain’s monarch and his wife Camilla from traveling after unions called new major protests for next Tuesday.

The protest would take place during Carlos III’s visit to Paris and Bordeaux, the two cities most affected by the violence of radical protesters in recent days. The president, who will attend the coronation of the British king on May 6, is confident that he will be able to accommodate the couple “in early summer” and to do so “under conditions that allow them to take advantage of France, Paris and Bordeaux,” he told a press conference after the European Council.

Charles III is expected to arrive in France tomorrow – where he would stay for three days – on his first state trip abroad as monarch. Despite this last-minute change of plans, the king will hold his visit to Germany scheduled for 29-31. March. His official program in the Gallic countries included an attendance at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, a speech in the Senate, an exhibition of Manet and Degas at the Orsay Museum, dinner at the Palace of Versailles and a walk through Bordeaux, where he was scheduled to inaugurate the British consulate and visit an organic vineyard.

But the visit, in full mobilization against the pension reform, was headache for the French authorities in terms of security. The Ministry of the Interior predicted this 4,000 policemen and gendarmes they were mobilized during the trip, which would reduce the number of troops to suppress violent protests.

The Quai d’Orsay, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assures that the suspension is for the scheduled date “It has no impact on the friendship between our two countries. On the contrary, it was postponed following the joint decision of the two governments and the talks between the heads of state, in order to give this visit the favorable framework it should have,” explained Anne-Claire Legendre, spokeswoman for this Downing Street portfolio, Macron was the one who made the request .

The opposition used that announcement to attack the French president. “Eruption of violence harm the republic and undermines France,” he lamented Eric Ciotti, at the head of Los Republicanos (moderate right), who called it a “shame” for the country “not to be able to ensure the security of the head of state”. “The meeting of the kings in Versailles was dispersed by popular censorship. The English know that Darmanin [ministro del Interior] security is zero,” he wrote on the social network. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of La Francia Insumis, always critical of Macron, whom he accuses of being “republican monarch”

Hidalgo support

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo believes postponing Carlos III’s visit is a “wise decision”. “The king and queen will always be welcome in Paris,” defended the advisor, who is Hidalgo, who Right now, he has enough to do with the violent protests and the garbagemen’s strike in town. By postponing the visit, Macron also avoids a banquet in Versailles with the monarch that would further damage his public image in full swing with the unions.

“We will not give in to violence. In the face of violence, which I distinguish from protests, we will continue to show great firmness”, promised the president, who called the French to account and expressed support for the police and gendarmes for their “exemplary work”.

The right to protest and protest does not give the right to general disorder“, warned the conservative Ciotti, who believes that “France is more divided than ever, trapped between the insurgent demagoguery of the extreme left and the Government’s disoriented impotence”. In his opinion, the return to peace and the maintenance of order is urgent.

In the coming weeks, the Constitutional Council must give its opinion on the pension reform, which has already been adopted by decree. that Macron believes it will take effect at the end of the year. Unions and the left are not giving up and are announcing new protests this weekend ahead of the big protests on Tuesday. “Charles III gave up, Macron will give up”guarantees Manuel Bompard, coordinator of La Francia Insumisa.