“Shocking”, “outrageous”, the reception of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman at the Elysée angered the entire left. For his first visit to Europe since the October 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Mohammed Ben Salmane, known as MBS, is having dinner tonight with Emmanuel Macron.
In addition to the associations for the defense of human rights, it is an outcry on the left. “It says how willing we are to compromise on the values we carry for oil. Saudi Arabia, which is the country that punishes homosexuality with the death penalty, which shamelessly kills the civilian population of Yemen“, loose the ecologist deputy Sandrine Rousseau.
The Saudi Crown Princeis charged with complicity in torture and enforced disappearance in connection with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Something to also question the members of the National Rally, but Julien Odoul especially wants to underline the “Two weights, two measuresof French diplomacy.
“It’s a pretty detestable signal that France is on its knees before Saudi Arabia.”
Julien Odoul, MP National Rallyat franceinfo
The RN deputy from Yonne does not hesitate to describe Riyadh as “dictatorship“and laments that”French power gives moral lessons about Russia or other countries“as he receives the Heir prince.
Faced with these virulent reactions, on the side of the Republicans, we are more cautious given the international context. Thanks to the war in Ukraine and soaring oil prices, the saudi crown prince is frequent again. “If we deprive ourselves of Russian oil, we have to find other sources of supply, other partners. So it could be Saudi Arabia. So we have to have a pragmatic dialogue”, underlines the deputy LR Vincent Seitlinger. But for this Member, that should not prevent a great “franchise” on the issue of human rights.
For its part, the Elysée makes it known that Emmanuel Macron “address the issue of human rights” with the Saudi Crown Prince. The Prime Minister, traveling this Thursday in the Vosges, indicated on franceinfo “understand all those who are vigilant about [ces] Questions“but referred to MBS as”partner“As part of the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices.”It is important to have these exchanges without renouncing in any way our objectives, our values and respect for human rights.“, estimated Elisabeth Borne.