Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson commit to “de-escalation” in the “coming days”

Towards a way out of the crisis? French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided on Sunday October 31 to work on “practical measures” in “the next few days” to favor “a de-escalation” in the conflict over fishing between France and the United Kingdom, announced the Elysee.

This is to ensure that “practical and operational measures be taken as quickly as possible to avoid a rise in tension”, explained the French presidency after a meeting between the two leaders in Rome. An update will be made on Tuesday on the implementation or not of retaliatory measures by Paris, said the same source.

France criticizes the United Kingdom for granting too few post-Brexit licenses to its fishermen. She promised, for lack of improvement, to ban on Tuesday British fishing vessels from unloading their cargo in French ports and to strengthen customs controls on trucks.

During the working meeting, which lasted nearly half an hour, Emmanuel Macron “wished to pass” to Boris Johnson “a message of high standards, seriousness and respect for a major partner of France”, according to the Elysee.

In its press release, the British Prime Minister’s services call on France to “de-escalation of its rhetoric and withdrawal of its threats”. The British leader has “reiterated its deep concern about the rhetoric of the French government in recent days”, citing in particular the words of French Prime Minister Jean Castex according to which “UK should be punished for leaving the EU”, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.