BRUSSELS (Reuters) – If European leaders earned points for the amount of time they spend at summits, French President Emmanuel Macron would probably top the rankings this week.
A two-day gathering in Brussels – with talks running past midnight on Thursday – was merely the icing on the cake for Macron, who had already hosted a global climate conference and a counter-terrorism summit in the past four days.
“He certainly comes with a lot of energy and ideas,” one European Council official said of the 39-year-old, who in seven months in office has earned a reputation for burning the candle at both ends, stretching his youthful staff.
“We just hope we can find a way to channel it.”
The question is, is it delivering results?
When it comes to Europe, the report card is so far mixed, although that’s not necessarily Macron’s fault.
Macron aiming for eurozone ‘convergence’ with Germany by March
When he acts outside the EU bubble, he has arguably had more success. His One Planet summit this week drew new green pledges from corporations and international organizations, keeping the battle against climate change high up the global agenda.
An unscheduled stop in Saudi Arabia last month for talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman helped clinch the release of Hariri, who flew to Paris and then back to Lebanon, where he withdrew his resignation as prime minister.
Macron has in some ways taken the international reins at a time when several Western leaders are otherwise engaged – Britain’s Theresa May is tied up with Brexit, Merkel is bogged down in coalition politics and President Donald Trump’s first year in office has been chaotic and unpredictable.
His main rival for geopolitical engagement is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has invited him to be guest of honor at the economic forum in St. Petersburg next May. No confirmation yet of whether Macron will find the time to go.
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