As US disengages in North Africa, France's Macron looks to boost his profile
During his visit to Tunisia, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to bolster the country’s faltering economy.
TUNIS, Tunisia — French President Emmanuel Macron capped off a state visit to Tunis on Feb. 1 with promises of increased economic support and bilateral cooperation, welcome news in a country reeling from high inflation, unemployment and sluggish growth.
The two-day visit — Macron’s third to North Africa since taking office — was seen as both an attempt to lend support to Tunisia, a former French colony, and bolster his regional profile, which has been on the rise following the United States' disengagement from the Middle East and North Africa.
“Macron is trying to become a world leader,” Youssef Cherif, a Tunis-based political analyst, told Al-Monitor. “All his trips — not just to Tunisia — are related to this goal.”
He added, “Plus, Tunisia remains a symbolic country where quick wins are possible. The country is relatively small and has a functioning bureaucracy, a civil society/private sector that is still alive and hasn't been through the bloodshed other countries went through.”
