Trump's pressure on Paris space summit: undermining 'frenemy' Macron

Analysts say the Trump administration's pressure on US space companies to skip the International Space Summit in Paris on Oct. 9 reflects a desire to check French President Emmanuel Macron, whom President Donald Trump regards as a "frenemy." Pictured is a summit between Macron (left) and Trump at the Elysee Palace in Paris in July 2017. [Getty Images]

Four major American space companies have announced they will not attend the International Space Summit opening in Paris on Oct. 9. Elon Musk's SpaceX, Blue Origin — led by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — rocket manufacturer Stoke Space, and Starcloud are among the key firms that have pulled out. Reports indicate the White House pressured the companies to stay away, angered by France's push for European strategic autonomy in space. Analysts also suggest the withdrawals are part of a broader effort by Donald Trump to undercut a signature initiative of his "frenemy," French President Emmanuel Macron.

Politico reported Wednesday (local time), citing a French government official, that White House pressure was behind the four US companies' decision to cancel their participation. The official told Politico it was "hard not to connect" the cancellations to media reports of pressure from Washington. "Even when strategic shifts and political pressure sometimes make things unnecessarily complicated, we want to continue working with our American partners and allies," the official said.

Macron has long championed the idea that Europe must develop its own satellite launch capabilities and reduce its dependence on American technology in space — a doctrine of strategic self-reliance. The Paris summit is widely seen as an extension of that agenda. The White House reportedly told the companies that attending would be perceived as endorsing European space policy. On the surface, the US move can be read as an effort to counter European autonomy and protect American industrial interests. But observers say Trump's deeper motive is to deflate a project Macron has staked his prestige on.

President Donald Trump (front center) exchanges a cheek kiss and handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron during the Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees in Paris in July 2017, as first lady Melania Trump (front left) looks on. [Getty Images]

Macron and Trump share a common profile: both champion right-leaning economic policies and cast themselves as strong leaders. Their rivalry became famous at their first meeting in Brussels in May 2017, when the two engaged in a white-knuckled handshake battle. Trump is known for crushing his counterparts' hands to assert dominance, but Macron refused to yield, gripping back with equal force. The six-second, jaw-clenched standoff became a global talking point.

Yet that contest of wills gave way to an unusual bond, as each recognized in the other a formidable equal. At a 2018 summit in Washington, Trump brushed a fleck from Macron's suit jacket on camera, declaring it had to be "perfect," and greeted him with a French-style cheek kiss, calling theirs a "special relationship."

Trump has also shown open admiration for the French cultural heritage Macron embodies. After watching the elaborate military parade at the Bastille Day ceremony Macron hosted for him in Paris in July 2017, Trump publicly vowed to hold a similar military parade in the United States on Independence Day. This year, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Trump is pursuing a project to erect a triumphal arch in Washington modeled on Paris's Arc de Triomphe.

On policy, however, the two have often been at opposite extremes. When Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, Macron mocked him by twisting Trump's own slogan — "Make America Great Again" — into a speech calling on the world to "Make Our Planet Great Again."

When Trump, in his second term, demanded NATO members increase defense spending and threatened that the United States might withdraw from the alliance, Macron fired back by declaring NATO "brain dead" and calling for the creation of a European army as an alternative.

Europe's aggressive digital taxes on big technology companies have been another flashpoint. When France introduced a digital services tax targeting US tech giants such as Google and Apple, Trump threatened to impose 100 percent retaliatory tariffs on French wine and cheese.

Macron, who has consistently defended multilateralism while championing European self-reliance, has been called the last major political heavyweight in Europe. His worldview inevitably collides with that of Trump, a self-styled champion of America First who has made a career of dismantling the multilateral order.

One American company executive attending the Paris summit despite the administration's pressure told Politico the White House's push for a boycott was "so Trump." "He loves to put down Europeans," the executive said. "Especially Macron, who in some ways symbolizes European leadership."

kate01@heraldcorp.com