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French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday voiced solidarity with Spain following recent threats by US President Donald Trump over Madrid's stance on Iran.

Macron has just spoken with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez “to express France’s European solidarity in response to the recent threats of economic coercion that Spain was targeted with yesterday," the French Presidency told broadcaster BFMTV.

European Council President Antonio Costa also expressed the EU's solidarity with Madrid and noted that the bloc "will always ensure that the interests of its Member States are fully protected."

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[–] e8CArkcAuLE@piefed.social 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

you go, France!
way better than the opportunist German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who dipped into Trump's critique of Spain’s military spending.

“The answer on that is quite simple. We are trying to convince Spain to catch up with the 3 percent or 3.5 percent, which we agreed on in Nato, and as the president said, it’s correct. Spain is the only one who is not willing to accept that, and we are trying to convince them that this is a part of our common security that we all have to comply with these numbers. … So, Spain has to comply with that.”

not even three weeks ago Fritze said:

Merz was speaking as the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches and one year after Vance used his speech in the same hall to criticise Europeans for not taking enough control of their own defence arrangements and ignoring the demands of their electorates.

Merz responded by saying it was crucial for the continent to change its mindset and fully exploit the “enormous” military, political, economic and technological potential of a “sovereign Europe”. Germany was striving for “partnership-based leadership” in Europe but retained no “hegemonic fantasies”.

this joke of a politician (the joke is on us, he’s an ex BlackRock banker) has got his nose so far up Trump’s ass that it’s effectively sealed and diapers are no longer needed.

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

has got his nose so far up Trump’s ass that it’s effectively sealed and diapers are no longer needed.

I think Merz isn't crawling up Trump's arse in the customary way, head first, he is going in feet first instead, so he can keep sucking him off while crawling in.

[–] AGD4@lemmy.world 31 points 6 hours ago (4 children)

Does Solidarity include not permitting France Airbases to be used in Iran bombing campaign?

[–] zaphod@sopuli.xyz 20 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

AFAIK there are neither US air bases in France (metropolitan or overseas) nor are any french air bases used by the USA. France uses Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE which is also used by the USA.

[–] stoicEuropean@lemmy.ml 21 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

This is the correct answer. There are no permanent US owned bases on French soil. In the past, US forces have been temporarily deployed to French facilities for exercises or joint operations, but as far as I know, this is not the case right now.

France always had a somewhat sceptic view when it came to being dependent on the US

[–] iglou@programming.dev 6 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

To add to your comment, in the past, there has been US bases in France. The US troops were evicted by De Gaulle when he exited France from NATO's Military Command Structure. Some of these old US bases are now used by the french military.

[–] stoicEuropean@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 hours ago

Thank you, I learned something new today.

[–] iglou@programming.dev 5 points 5 hours ago

You are absolutely right, De Gaulle made sure of that.

[–] dominic.borcea@piefed.social 16 points 6 hours ago

Doubt it. Solidary with Spain doesn't necessarily translate to agreeing with Spain, but defending Spain's right to sovereignty.
Similar to how someone's defense of others' free speech doesn't translate to agreement of whatever it is that they say.

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 hours ago

Are they being used?

[–] whyNotSquirrel@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 hours ago

whoaa, non non non

[–] Quacksalber@sh.itjust.works 18 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

The frech have a fucked up police state, being trailblazers when it comes to surveilance in the EU and somehow every second protest ends in a riot, but when it comes to their european foreign policy, they are really solid.

And of course french political discourse, just like most european political discourse, downplays far-right violence, while overstating left-wing political violence. Like when recently a far-right provocateur died after starting a fight at a left-wing protest, and somehow a leftist party in France has to answer for his death?

[–] leftascenter@jlai.lu 8 points 5 hours ago

somehow every second protest ends in a riot,

Start of violence has slowly switched from "some protesters sometimes are violent" to "police start it most of the protests" in the 00s through the 10s.

[–] Pip@feddit.org 2 points 6 hours ago

As always, all about image, with little to show.