Biden will host French President Macron for his first state dinner as president.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes President Joe Biden before their meeting at the French Embassy to the Vatican in Rome, on Oct. 29, 2021.Peter Nicholas
The face-to-face diplomacy actually began Wednesday night, when Biden and first lady Jill Biden escorted Macron and his wife, Brigitte, to dinner at Fiola Mare, a tony restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront whose specialty is Italian food. Aposted on Biden’s account showed the two leaders with spoons in hand hovering over what looks to be dessert, sitting across an oval table from the first ladies.
The dinner is also an opportunity for Biden to repair a strained relationship of another sort: Democratic donors and fundraisers havethey’ve been largely ignored in his presidency. As he looks ahead to a potential re-election bid, Biden is stepping up his overtures to the people who will help bankroll a 2024 campaign.
“The Biden administration quite rightly understands that to deal with China and Russia, the two authoritarian powers, you need a strong Europe with you,” he added. “You need France.”Macron has made plain his unhappiness over one of Biden’s signature legislative achievements, the Inflation Reduction Act, which earmarksto combat climate change.
“We’re going to be the supply chain,” he said, sounding a triumphal note. “And the difference is going to be, we’re going to make that supply chain available to the rest of the world.” The state dinner may be the Biden administration’s way of apologizing for an unforced error of such magnitude, Fried said.A dish is previewed for the Macron state dinner. The last state dinner at the White House was in 2019.State dinners often reflect the personal tastes and political needs of the first family. The tradition of honoring a visiting head of state began when President Ulysses S. Grant hosted King Kalākaua of Hawaii in 1874.
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