Politics After disgruntlement: Argentina's President Milei meets Macron

Despite the recent tense relations, French President Emmanuel Macron has received his Argentinian counterpart Javier Milei. During the meeting at the Élysée Palace, the heads of state discussed the war in Ukraine, this Sunday's presidential election in Venezuela and the planned free trade agreement between the EU and the South American Mercosur alliance, according to the Argentinian presidential office.

Relations between Paris and Buenos Aires have recently been difficult. Last week, a video in which Argentinian players sing derogatory lyrics about French players of African origin after winning the Copa América final caused outrage. Following criticism of the outbursts, Argentina's ultra-conservative Vice President Victoria Villarruel went even further. "No colonialist country will intimidate us because we sing a song or say the truths they don't want to admit," she wrote on X.

The government in Buenos Aires distanced itself from the vice president's comments, and Milei sent his sister and closest advisor Karina Milei to the French embassy in Buenos Aires to calm the waters. I expressly thanked Macron for this during the visit to the Élysée Palace, according to the presidential office.