Stéphane Séjourné, near Macron and Europe specialist on the Quai d’Orsay | EUROtoday

Published on : 01/13/2024 – 11:49

4 minutes

Less than 24 hours after his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné is because of meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday January 13 to guarantee him of France’s help in his struggle in opposition to Russia. A primary official journey for this shut buddy of Emmanuel Macron who, after having lengthy been anticipated to be the top of the bulk record within the European elections, lastly entered the federal government on Thursday to exchange Catherine Colonna.

A person within the shadows little recognized to the French, he thus turned, at 38, the youngest Minister of Foreign Affairs of the V^e Republic.

Until now, Emmanuel Macron had performed the expertise card to resolve who would take the lead in French diplomacy. Jean-Yves Le Drian had a protracted African tackle e-book and Catherine Colonna may boast of a protracted profession as a diplomat – she had settled within the embassies of the United Kingdom, Italy, UNESCO, on the OECD, and had had a primary ministerial expertise (in Europe) beneath Chirac. This time, the top of state has chosen a devoted among the many devoted.

This native of Versailles obtained concerned in politics very early on, combating particularly in opposition to the primary employment contract with Sacha Houlié, the present president of the Law Committee within the Assembly. In 2006, he joined Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s marketing campaign for the socialist primaries, misplaced to Ségolène Royal. In 2014, Emmanuel Macron lastly introduced him into his workplace on the Ministry of the Economy. Stéphane Séjourné thus turned one in every of his political advisors even earlier than his election in 2017. He was lastly elected MEP on the Republic en Marche record in 2019. He is now the boss of the Renaissance occasion.

The new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, additionally is aware of Stéphane Séjourné very nicely: the 2 males had been in a civil partnership for a time.

Well versed in European points

Speaking a number of languages ​​together with Spanish, having spent a part of his youth in Argentina, Stéphane Séjourné additionally stands out within the European Parliament on the head of the centrist group “Renew” – one of many three forces which make up the so-called majority “von der Leyen” – since October 2021.

In this advanced place, the place he should convey collectively very completely different sensibilities, he’s famous for his firmness in the direction of the federal government of Hungarian Viktor Orban, and is concerned in sure main points, such because the migration and asylum pact and the venture of regulation on the restoration of nature, studies the newspaper Les Échos.

This place can even be a big asset on the head of the Quai d’Orsay. For 5 years, he has been immersed within the backstage of European diplomacy and has usually met the heads of presidency of his political household, such because the Dutchman Mark Rutte, the Belgian Alexander De Croo, the Estonian Kaja Kallas.

Ukraine, Middle East, Africa…

The new head of French diplomacy, praised among the many majority for his “great political sense” and his “great capacity for adaptation”, should be on all fronts, beginning with Ukraine the place the struggle has been raging since two years. The course shouldn’t change, with France presenting itself as unwavering help for kyiv in defeating Russia, regardless of being slowed down on the bottom.

“For almost two years, Ukraine has been on the front line to defend its sovereignty and ensure the security of Europe. France’s aid is long-term. This is what I came to say to Kiev for my first trip”, declared the minister, in a message revealed on X.

Stéphane Séjourné can even need to proceed the efforts of his predecessor within the Middle East to stop an extension of the battle between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist motion Hamas, particularly in Lebanon, the place Hezbollah advantages from the help of Iran.

After sturdy help for Israel, the sufferer, on October 7, of massacres perpetrated by Hamas, France toughened its tone, insistently calling for an finish to the bombings on Gaza that are killing “too many” Palestinian civilians, whereas three French persons are nonetheless lacking, most likely hostages of Hamas in Gaza.

At the identical time, French diplomacy has its eyes fastened on Iran and its nuclear program. Westerners worry that Tehran will reach buying nuclear weapons. Even if France denies it, the work of negotiations with Iran is all of the harder as Paris is working behind the scenes to free 4 French individuals thought of to be “state hostages”.

Stéphane Séjourné can even need to work on creating a brand new French diplomacy in Africa, after the pressured departure of French troops from the Sahel, the place they had been combating in opposition to radical Islamism.

With AFP