Al-Jaulani in Paris. French Right Criticizes Macron

Wednesday about Paris arrived Ahmad Hussein asz-Shara, besides known under his war alias Abu Muhammad al-Djaulani. He presently serves as president of Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime. He met Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace, and the exchange of handshakes at the end of the talks sparked a violent reaction from the French political scene.

This visit, being the first abroad journey of al-Jaulani since taking over power, had a symbolic dimension for many and became a spark of a serious dispute over the direction of French abroad policy. For some, it is simply a sign of a pragmatic approach to a hard region, for others – unacceptable concessions towards a individual with a dubious past.

Ahmad Hussein asz-Shara in earlier years was the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which formed as part of the Al-Nusra Front, a erstwhile Syrian Al-Qaeda branch. For many years he was considered 1 of the most crucial leaders of the armed muslim movements in Syria. Although he now claims to have abandoned jihad ideology for inclusive, pluralistic and democratic Syria, many in Europe approach this communicative with deep skepticism. It was this past that caused the top outrage. Al-Jaulani took power as a consequence of the negotiation process with the opposition and the Gulf States supporting it. Although he cut himself off from the past of radicalism, he was not removed from the UN's sanctions list. However, France has received a peculiar licence for its arrival, arguing the request for open dialogue.

In his message after the meeting, Macro pointed out that France's precedence was safety and the protection of all Syrian citizens, regardless of religion and ethnicity. The French president pointed out that the country does not intend to give "moral lessons", but hopes for concrete actions of the fresh government in Damascus – especially in respect of respect for human rights, spiritual freedom and settlement of perpetrators of violence. Macron besides spoke about the request to break the diplomatic deadlock and open a fresh chapter in relations with Syria, subject to a real change in political course.

The visit met with clear criticism from the National Unity (Rassemblement National). In her speech to the media, Le Pen described the invitation of the Syrian leader as "provokative and irresponsible", adding that Emmanuel Macron "with a handshake of his hand legitimizes a man associated with jihadism who was on terrorist lists a fewer years ago". In her opinion, specified a decision is an expression of naivety and desticking from realities that may cost France not only global prestige but besides interior security.

Jordan Bardella, MEP and leader of the National Unity, wrote on platform X (formerly Twitter): "Macron kisses the hand of a jihadist who is liable for the suffering of thousands of Syrians. It's a disgrace. France should not be a country that rewards extremists with diplomatic honours." These words echoed widely, not only in French and global media.

The centre-right Republican organization (Es Républicains) besides expressed strong opposition. Her leader Laurent Wauquiez stated that the adoption of al-Jaulani was a ‘historical mistake’ that could destruct decades of French policies supporting average Syrian opposition. In his opinion, France has given up its own principles by this motion and is committed to the logic of the brutal force that the Syrian conflict has represented over the years. Wauquiez asked rhetorically whether now anyone who dropped his weapon and declared himself a reformer should be the red carpet at the Elysée Palace.

The opposition's outrage was not limited to parliamentary parties. In the Syrian exile communities surviving in France, the gathering was besides very emotional. Many of them accused al-Jaulani of past crimes and of deficiency of real reconciliation efforts. A ten-person demonstration in front of the Syrian Embassy in Paris ran under the slogans: “We do not forget”, “Al-Jaulani are an unrepentant Islamist”, “Macron betrayed us”. Although the protest was calm, its participants had 1 message – the president of France, in their opinion, betrayed the values he allegedly represented.

Supporters of Macron's decisions, mainly from centre-left circles and parts of the centre-think tanks dealing with the mediate East, argued that the situation in Syria requires non-standard solutions. In their opinion, ignoring the fresh reality in the region only leads to marginalisation of France's influence. The long-term isolation of the Assad government has not produced affirmative results, and agreements involving fresh forces can open up space for reforms – even if they are symbolic for now.

The French Ministry of abroad Affairs issued a communication in which it ensured that the gathering did not mean full designation for the fresh power in Syria, but only the beginning of the communication channel. It has been stressed that France has not abolished sanctions against Syria and does not envisage their abolition without crucial advancement in the area of human rights, freedom of expression and civilian liberties. At the same time, it was noted that president al-Daulani had declared his consent to the adoption of independent UN observers and his readiness to hold free elections over the next 2 years. The French authorities treat these declarations with cautious optimism, but admit that this is simply a step forward compared to Assad's repression policy.

Despite authoritative assurances, the atmosphere around the gathering remains tense. Liberal media specified as ‘Le Monde’ or ‘Libération’ are divided. any publicists see Macron's action as an expression of courage and political realism, others – a cynical play calculated to improve global quotations without real benefits for the Syrian people. "Le Figaro", a diary akin to the right, compared the gathering to a "diplomatic mistake from the time of Mitterrand" which attempted to open channels of communication with African dictators.

In the opinion of any experts, Macron's main motive for action may be to effort to regain influence in the east Mediterranean, where France loses its field for Turkey, Russia and Iran. The gathering with al-Jaulani is besides expected to be a signal to Washington that Paris can make its own decisions on global issues. The French president has already pointed out on respective occasions that he does not want Europe to be just an extension of American abroad policy.

In conclusion, Emmanuel Macron's gathering with Ahmad Hussein Ash-Shara opens a new, controversial chapter in French politics towards the mediate East. For any it is an expression of maturity and the essential realism in times of instability, for others – proof that in the name of diplomatic gestures France is ready to forget its own values. The actual consequences of this decision will only come out in time, both at global level and in the interior debate on the function France should play in the world.