Macron narrowly beats other world leaders to congratulate Trump on election victory – POLITICO

During his first four years in office, Macron maintained a volatile relationship with Trump, which was sometimes cordial and sometimes openly hostile. Although separated by politics and age, Macron and Trump were often seen as having some sort of bromance with one another.

In his congratulatory message, Macron said he would work “with (Trump's) convictions and (his own)” toward “greater peace and prosperity,” a veiled reference to Trump's positions on the war in Ukraine, which he said he wanted to end and a threatened transatlantic trade war.

As Macron rushed to welcome Trump, he initially joined a cohort of mostly populist and far-right leaders who heaped praise on the Republican candidate, including longtime Trump ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

In a second message, Macron said he had spoken to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the US election and said they would work towards a “united, stronger and more sovereign Europe in the new context”.

The French president will be keen to engage with Trump as he faces increasing threats from potential Trump allies, particularly the far right in France, with Marine Le Pen's National Rally Party among the most recent won major victories in the elections.