Macron's 'Versailles diplomacy' yields mixed results after a decade in power
Key takeaways
- French President Emmanuel Macron courted his US counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 on Wednesday by opening the gilded gates of Versailles, a move that underscored his trademark blend of symbolism and diplomacy.
- By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump receives a tour of Chateau de Versailles from President of France Emmanuel Macron ahead of a dinner, in France, on June 17, 2026.
- Read moreIn pictures: The Palace of Versailles, Macron's beloved soft-power tool
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
French President Emmanuel Macron courted his US counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 on Wednesday by opening the gilded gates of Versailles, a move that underscored his trademark blend of symbolism and diplomacy. While allies hailed the summit's success, analysts said Macron still faces the challenge of turning grand gestures into lasting influence.
By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump receives a tour of Chateau de Versailles from President of France Emmanuel Macron ahead of a dinner, in France, on June 17, 2026. © Anna Moneymaker, AP When US President Donald Trump, flanked by the French president, signed the Iran memorandum in the opulent Palace of Versailles, the optics were vintage Emmanuel Macron: the full weight of French history, glamour and pomp deployed to win over a difficult counterpart.
The invitation to a grand dinner at the gilded residence of Louis XIV had been designed to persuade Trump to stay till the end of a three-day G7 summit – rather than leave early as he did in Canada last year – and to encourage the mercurial US president to adopt a more conciliatory position towards fellow leaders whom he has often chided over trade and Ukraine.