After it was suggested that Boris Johnson, the French President, called Emmanuel Macron a ‘clown”, Emmanuel Macron’s minister reacted.
Science Minister George Freeman described the alleged remark as ‘pretty unhelpful’ as he said: ‘Of course the Prime Minister isn’t a clown.’
Freeman stated that Anglo-French relations were ‘better than the quote implies’.
In recent months, the relationship between France and Britain has become more difficult due to disagreements around Brexit.
Tensions have been heightened by the ongoing crisis at Channel crossings for migrants.
Yesterday, a French magazine reported that Emmanuel Macron called Boris Johnson a clown’.
Yesterday, a French magazine claimed that Macron called Johnson a “clown” and described Britain’s Government as a “circus”.
Insiders told the investigative weekly magazine Le Canard Enchaine (The Chained Duck) that the French President had also called Mr Johnson a ‘good for nothing’.
During an interview with Sky News, Mr Freeman was asked to respond to these comments.
The French presidential election is set to be held in April 2019.
He said: ‘Well, I think we are into pantomime season, aren’t we, and there is a French election coming.
‘It is a pretty unhelpful word. Of course the Prime Minister isn’t a clown, he is the elected Prime Minister of this country with a very big mandate, leading this country through the pandemic.
‘The truth is we are looking to work very closely with France on the border issue on tackling the problem of European migration at source.’
He added: ‘I am confident that actually Anglo-French relations are rather better than that quote suggests.’
Mr Macron’s outburst is said to have taken place during a trip to Croatia last Thursday – the day after 27 migrants drowned in the Channel.
Le Canard says: Macron called Boris Johnson over the telephone about Calais’ tragedy as soon as Macron arrived in Zagreb (24 November).
In this conversation Mr Macon and his advisors discovered that Macron was not yet able to access the letter which he sent him to Twitter.
Macron expressed his anger at this and said to Zagreb’s advisors: “Bojo talks with me. He’s down to Earth, everything’s fine. We’re having mature discussions, then he takes it out on us, either before or after, in an inelegant way. It is always the same circus.
Macron blamed Britain’s exit from the EU for the “starting point” of tensions that continue between the countries.
Science Minister George Freeman described the alleged remark as ‘pretty unhelpful’ as he said: ‘Of course the Prime Minister isn’t a clown.’
The magazine reports that Mr Macron stated: “Very quickly Boris Johnson realized that the situation was disastrous for the British. It’s not just that there isn’t petrol at the pumps. There are many things missing. The victim, France, is what he portrays, and he attempts to transform every simple situation into complex problems. Since March, we’ve been stuck in the same situation.
“He’s done it on the fishing war, the sausage war and the submarine affair.” [in which France lost a multi-billion pound submarine contract to build boats for Australia to the USA and UK].’
He then quotes Macron as saying about Johnson: ‘In private, Macron says that he regrets acting in this manner, but that, above all, he must address public opinion.
At that moment, Macron is said to have stated: “It is very disappointing to see a great land, with whom we could achieve so many, led by someone like a clown.” Johnson is characterized as a “good-for-nothing” person.