In his upcoming memoir, ‘Unleashed,’ former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson alleges that French President Emmanuel Macron aimed to punish the UK for leaving the European Union during the tumultuous Brexit negotiations. Johnson claims that Macron viewed Brexit as a deeply personal affront, a ‘terrible snub’ to the EU and his worldview.
According to Johnson, Macron sought to make Brexit as difficult as possible for the UK by employing various tactics, which he labels as ‘putting his Cuban-heeled bootee into Brexit Britain.’ One of the most notable examples, as detailed in Johnson’s memoir, is Macron’s alleged ‘weaponization’ of the issue of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. Johnson suggests that Macron deliberately allowed the migrant crossings to escalate during the negotiations, comparing it to the ‘Belarus-style’ tactic of using refugees as leverage.
While acknowledging that Macron is ‘personally charming’ and that they often agreed on essential matters, Johnson maintains that Macron was determined to make Britain’s exit from the EU painful. He writes that he ‘suspected him of being a positive nuisance’ on some issues.
Johnson’s memoir goes beyond the Brexit negotiations, also touching upon the AUKUS military alliance, a deal that he describes as ‘putting French noses badly out of joint.’ He reveals how he secretly brokered the agreement at the 2021 G7 summit in Britain, where Australia agreed to ditch a contract with France to procure nuclear submarines and instead partner with the US and UK. Johnson writes about the covert nature of the agreement, stating that his ‘most important job at Carbis Bay was to organise a discreet three-way meeting… without being rumbled by the French.’ He concludes by noting that the announcement of the AUKUS deal prompted ‘predictably tonto’ reactions from the French government.
