‘French have had enough!’ Macron warned ‘pathetic’ Brexit-bashing may cost him presidency – Daily Express

The European Union figurehead has launched frequent outbursts against the UK following the historic Brexit referendum in June 2016 which saw more than 17 million people in Britain vote to leave the EU. Mr Macron has been particularly critical of the UK's stance in fishing negotiations which he claims have held back his country's fishermen from accessing British territorial waters after Brexit. The simmering tensions between France and the UK exploded last month when the French President reportedly branded Boris Johnson a "clown" and a "knucklehead".

The comments attributed to Mr Macron were made privately to a small group of his advisers during a visit to Croatia the previous week, French satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine reported.

He had reportedly attacked Mr Johnson for looking to make France a "scapegoat" for Brexit, which he claimed had been "catastrophic" for Britain.

But Nile Gardiner, a foreign policy analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, warned his Brexit-bashing means he faces a huge fight ahead of the presidential elections in May.

He told Express.co.uk: "Even in France, the French people have had enough of it.

"His anti-British rhetoric doesn't play well for most French voters.

"Macron is on a vendetta against the UK - he has called Brexit a crime and this is pathetic posturing from a sinking presidency that is desperately lashing out at the UK because frankly, Brexit has been a great success.

"That is very upsetting to euro-federalists like Macron as they don't want to see Britain succeed.

"Macron has tried to undermine Britain at every opportunity on the migrant issue.

READ MORE:Covid LIVE: Another grim record as UK hits 189k cases

"This hate-fuelled language won't help him at the polls. He looks desperate and pathetic."

Mr Gardiner went as far to say Macron's continued criticism of Britain has left him isolated in Europe as other nations begin to accept the UK's departure from the bloc.

He added: "Emmanuel Macron has become quite isolated in Europe with his approach.

"Germany is now rejecting that 'bash Britain' approach and want to have a very healthy relationship.

"Macron is delusional if he thinks his fear-factor, anti-British rhetoric is going to play well across much of the rest of Europe and it isn't."

The next few months could be pivotal for Mr Macron as he fights to win a second term as French President.

He is having to fight a growing backlash from the French people after his Government imposed stricter rules in a desperate attempt to bring the raging Covid pandemic under control again.

On Wednesday, France achieved an unwanted national and European record after reporting a massive 208,000 new Covid cases.

This followed the 180,000 new infections recorded a day earlier which had already been the highest for a country in Europe, according to data on

Health Minister Olivier Veran warned every second, two people in France are testing positive for Covid.

He added the situation in the country's hospitals was all the more worrying because of the continued presence of the Delta variant, with Omicron yet to have a real impact.

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'French have had enough!' Macron warned 'pathetic' Brexit-bashing may cost him presidency - Daily Express