Macron’s top diplomat, Catherine Colonna, said on Tuesday that the president was interested in coming to Johannesburg as an observer in August to attend the meeting of Brazilian, Russian, Indian, Chinese and South African leaders, the so-called BRICS group of major emerging economies.
Macron’s move might well be a double-edged sword. On one hand, seeking cooperation with the BRICS nations can diversify France’s diplomatic ties. On the other, if he continues to alienate his traditional Western allies and domestically neglects the concerns of laborers and unionists, he risks finding himself without a robust support network when it’s most needed. The disenchanted masses, left with their “eat the rich” signs, could become his only audience.