Emmanuel Macron vows to represent all French people

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Emmanuel Macron was re-elected as French President on Sunday, securing himself another five-year term in office. The French leader, who is one of the loudest voices in the EU, called the election a “referendum for or against” the 27-nation bloc. Mr Macron has already revealed he will be heading to Berlin in one of the first visits of his new term, perhaps hoping to rekindle France’s long-standing partnership with Germany under the leadership of its relatively new Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

However, any hopes that the French President’s victory could herald a new era of cooperation between France and Brexit Britain may be short-lived.

Mr Macron and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have both traded barbs amid the UK’s exit from the EU, including over France’s post-Brexit fishing rights in British waters.

Tensions flared up last year as the UK and Jersey denied some French fishing boats the licences they require to fish near Britain, under the post-Brexit trade deal.

Brexit tensions between the UK and France could rumble on in Mr Macron’s second term in office, according to Michael Bruter, professor of political science and European politics at the London School of Economics.

Speaking to Express.co.uk before the election, the political scientist claimed that, in the UK, it appears that Mr Macron has taken a tough stance towards its neighbour across the Channel in terms of fishing and other Brexit-related issues.

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He said: “In the UK, there has been this perception that he took a particularly tough line.

“In fairness, that is usually the line people take when they sign an agreement.”

Mr Macron has not unveiled detailed policy proposals regarding the EU, but he has spoken of trying to bolster its strength.

A firm advocate of the bloc, the French leader accused his far-right challenger Marine le Pen during the election of quietly wanting to pursue “Frexit”.

His own ideas for the bloc include pooling its defence resources, moving towards closer integration and financial reform.

Earlier this month, there was a sign of progress in France and the UK’s fishing dispute.

The EU’s fishing commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius told the Financial Times that most French fishing vessels had now been granted the licences they require.

He said: “The commission fully intends to continue building a successful and constructive relationship with the UK.

“We managed to achieve most of the licences that have been requested.”

However, Prof Bruter claimed that part of the tension between France and the UK over fishing is due to it being such a symbolic industry for both sides.

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He said: “I think that the fishing crisis is a bit more of a symbolic division between France and the UK, because neither of them really wants to be seen as letting down the small fishermen.”

He added: “I think that in both cases, they worry about the PR of it.

“The fact that it would look like either the UK or the French would be letting down the small guys.”

The expert also claimed that the contributions fishing makes to each country’s economy is actually relatively small.

He said: “It is symbolic because it is true in France and in the UK, we are two countries in which people care about agriculture and fisheries.

“In a way, [this] is much more significant than what the economic shares of the sectors represent in real life.

“Because in a way it represents our vision of what the countries are. We imagine a country of farmers and we imagine a country of fishermen.

“Even though in practice, in France and the UK, the majority of the fishing is done by pretty large companies.”

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