King and autocrat

On May 29, in the Palace of Versailles near Paris, not just negotiations between the presidents of Russia and France took place - the world saw a meeting of two political styles and two different eras, which, in principle, should not have intersected

Putin's photographs from Versailles are reminiscent of scenes from Paolo Sorrentino's film Molodost, where the aged hero realizes that there is nothing more valuable in life than youth, but he can only watch with envy the interesting life of the surrounding young people.

When Vladimir Putin was first elected president in May 2000, 22-year-old Emmanuel Macron was preparing for his penultimate exams at Sciences Po in Paris, helping the philosopher Paul Ricœur prepare his book Memory, History, Forgetting for publication, and taking theater courses. It is unlikely that at that time he could have imagined that he would one day receive an ex-KGB officer in Versailles.

A lot has happened to Macron in these seventeen years. After graduating from Sciences Po, he continued his studies in Strasbourg, joined the Socialist Party in 2006, only to leave it three years later, married in 2007, and became an investment banker for the Rothschilds in 2008. There are still four years left before the meeting with Hollande's campaign team, and eight years before his first (and probably last) ministerial post.

Putin's life over these 17 years has also developed successfully in its own way. Once during this time, Putin changed his office, moving out of the Kremlin for four years, only to return later. Divorced from his wife. Captured Crimea. He sent "polite people" to the Donbass. He gave the order to bomb Aleppo.

On the face of Vladimir Putin in Versailles - fatigue and a complete lack of interest. For Putin, Macron is the fourth counterpart in France. The most pleasant of them, according to the owner of the Kremlin, was Jacques Chirac. Then Putin was young and gained experience from the master of French politics. Further communication with the French "partners" went downhill. Nicolas Sarkozy is still remembered in the press for his first meeting with Putin. After her, the French president went out to reporters, either drunk or shocked, in a sharp conversation with Putin, during which, according to journalist Nicolas Henin (author of an investigation into the Kremlin networks in France), Putin threatened to “crush” Sarkozy. There were even fewer contacts with Hollande, and almost all for unpleasant reasons - Syria, Ukraine, Mistrals.

For Macron, the meeting with Putin promised an opportunity for a brilliant debut in world politics, but also threatened with great political risks.

Macron's critics explained that he might not be able to withstand Putin's pressure and would be too accommodating. Apparently, it is no coincidence that in the morning before the talks with Putin, Macron's schedule included a meeting with the head of counterintelligence.

Critics of the president explained that Macron might not be able to withstand Putin's pressure and would be too accommodating. Apparently, it is no coincidence that in the morning before the talks with Putin, Macron had a meeting with the head of counterintelligence on his schedule. Some, on the contrary, feared the young leader's excessive adherence to principles and harshness, who could spoil relations with Russia for all five years at the very beginning of his presidency. However, Macron has shown himself to be a pragmatist, ready to deal with the “bad guys”, but at the same time able to set his own conditions. To Putin's face, he said everything he thought about Russian propaganda, drew a "red line" in Syria, and even promised "together with Putin" to regularly monitor the situation in Chechnya.

At the same time, Macron was a hospitable host, trying not to offend the guest. A simple cultural trip was organized on the grand scale of an important state visit. It has become Macron's clear bid for France's leadership in EU foreign policy while the UK is preoccupied with its own Brexit and Merkel is focused on the election campaign. And this application seems to be successful so far, even if the commentators are ironic about both leaders and have already dubbed their meeting so - "The Sun King and the Autocrat of All Russia."