On Wednesday, the French president addressed US lawmakers to express their opinion on the Inflation Reduction Act, which according to him was “overly aggressive” towards European companies.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday addressed US lawmakers from both political parties criticizing his Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (Photo: AP/PTI)
by Reuters: French President Emmanuel Macron addressed US lawmakers from both political parties on Wednesday and pushed back on new US subsidies that have upset European leaders, according to a participant who attended a closed-door meeting.
Macron arrived in Washington on Tuesday for his second state visit to the United States since taking office in 2017, ahead of which French officials said he would clash with President Joe Biden over subsidies contained in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Biden and Macron, along with their wives Jill and Brigitte, took an early opportunity to get together ahead of their formal talks on Thursday. They walked in the US President’s motorcade to the historic area of Georgetown, a short distance from the White House, and dined at Fiola Mare, an Italian restaurant.
In a meeting with US lawmakers at the Library of Congress, Macron said the inflation reduction act was “overly aggressive” towards European companies, a participant told Reuters. The participant requested anonymity to discuss a private part of the meeting.
Macron’s office declined to confirm the comment, which was first reported by Agence France-Presse.
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European leaders have complained about a legislative package signed by Biden in August that provides massive subsidies for US-made products that unfairly harm non-US companies and harm their economies. would be a severe blow as Europe deals with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Asked about European concerns, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the legislation “presents a significant opportunity for European firms as well as for the EU’s energy security”.
He added that the IRA has provisions that will contribute to the development of the clean energy sector globally.
In introductory remarks to reporters present at the Library of Congress, Macron said that France and the United States should join forces to reform the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, so that their money is directed to countries most affected by climate change. Can go
French officials say Macron’s efforts to reach out to both parties were a recognition that he should look beyond Biden, a Democrat, to pursue cooperation with Washington after Republicans won the House of Representatives in this month’s midterm elections. needed.
Macron is the first foreign leader to be given a state dinner at the Biden White House, a sign of his importance to Washington despite some differences with the Biden administration. According to details provided by First Lady Jill Biden’s office, Thursday’s formal dinner will feature chardonnay from Jon Batiste, Napa Valley Chardonnay and cheddar cheese from a family-run creamery in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
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‘Rogue states’ in space
Earlier, Macron visited the NADA headquarters with Vice President Kamala Harris and said US-French cooperation was vital to counter the risk of conflict in space. The two announced new US-French cooperation on space a year ago during a meeting in Paris.
Macron said space represented “a new site of conflict” and it was important for France and the United States to work together on setting rules and norms because they share a commitment to science as well as democratic values. We do.
“We also have mad players in space, and we have rogue states, and we have new hybrid attacks,” Macron said in English.
The United States and several other nations have joined the destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile test after Russia shot down one of its own satellites in orbit last year, prompting debris from the United States and its allies. And the illustration attracted.
The United States, which last demonstrated such a missile in 2008, first announced a ban on the tests in April.
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Macron’s visit came as NATO ministers met in Bucharest and pledged more aid to Ukraine to help against Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure as winter bites.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the alliance, of which the United States and France are founding members, was also discussing how to address challenges posed by China’s military buildup and its cooperation with Russia. Macron has said in the past that China should not be a focus of NATO.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a briefing call that China would be top of the agenda during Macron’s visit “because of the global influence that China is trying to exert and demonstrate and because of the security challenges it poses.” China continues to face security challenges, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.”