Macron among Europe, the Gulf, and domestic politics: alliance with Berlin on the Fcas fighter jet, calls for peace, and denials regarding the municipal elections.

France and Germany are making one last mediation attempt to unlock the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program. On the sidelines of the EU summit, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed to initiate expert-led talks to overcome industrial differences between Airbus and Dassault, aiming for a concrete result by mid-April. The goal, as Macron emphasized while noting progress, is to find common ground calmly and respectfully, keeping the strategic direction of a crucial project clear. The program, which also involves Spain, aims to replace the Rafale and Eurofighter by 2040, developing an advanced technological ecosystem that also includes drones and combat networks.

The European summit also served as a framework to address the delicate crisis in the Middle East. Macron described the military escalation that has struck, for the first time, the gas production infrastructure in Iran and Gulf countries like Qatar as reckless. For this reason, the head of the Élysée called for a rapid de-escalation and an immediate moratorium on attacks against civil infrastructure, particularly energy and water facilities, which are essential for the basic needs of the populations. In light of the upcoming religious holidays, Macron requested a temporary cessation of hostilities to allow for negotiations, also speaking by phone with the Emir of Qatar and American President Donald Trump to safeguard supply security.

However, the French position triggered a strong diplomatic reaction from Iran. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Macron of lack of impartiality, reproaching him for never condemning the offensives by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic, including the raids on Tehran's fuel depots on March 7. According to the Iranian minister, Paris's concern only emerged following Tehran's retaliation against the crucial Qatari field of Ras Laffan, deliberately ignoring the attacks previously suffered by Iran.

Shifting the focus to the internal political front, Macron's day was also marked by the need to firmly reject accusations of interference in the municipal elections in Paris. Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayoral candidate for the left-wing coalition, had accused the president of personally intervening to push for the withdrawal of the far-right candidate Sarah Knafo, in order to favor the former center-right minister Rachida Dati. Upon arriving in Brussels, Macron dismissed these claims as nonsensical and unserious. The president clarified that he does not personally know Knafo and denied any interference in the Parisian electoral dynamics, hoping that the campaign for the municipal elections finds a climate of greater respect and republican fairness.