OTTAWA, Sept 26: French President Emmanuel Macron, fresh from his own political struggles back home, meets Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday in the wake of the Canadian leader's survival of a no-confidence vote.
Macron, who arrived late Wednesday from New York where he had spoken at the United Nations, was received by his host at the Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, for a working dinner.
Trudeau, who appeared without a tie and relaxed on the steps of his home, had just escaped censure in a motion filed by his main rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
The prime minister and his guest, who both embodied a new generation of young, optimistic leaders, are now experiencing similar political headwinds.
At the G7 summit in Italy, shortly after Macron's election in May 2017, their apparent chumminess -- dubbed a diplomatic "bromance" -- spurred many a headline.
But seven years later, Macron is in a weakened position, having lost legislative elections that he himself called, forcing him to share power with a right-wing prime minister.
Trudeau, abandoned by his main leftist ally, is now highly unpopular and remains at the mercy of other motions of censure, just like his French counterpart Michel Barnier.
The two beleaguered leaders decided to emphasize the strategic partnership between their two countries, focusing on their French-language ties and joint approaches to the development of artificial intelligence.
"Canada is an extremely close country, one of the closest outside the European Union," commented the French presidency ahead of the visit.
Macron will discuss on Thursday morning the revival of the French language and culture in Canada, beyond Quebec, with stakeholders in this field, a week before a Francophonie Summit in France. Quebec is the only Canadian province with a French-speaking majority. —AFP
