US weighs delaying France's Washington ambassador pick over human rights spat
France's selection of a new ambassador
to the US has been complicated after France's mission to the UN
criticized the US for voting against a proposal to extend the mandate of
the UN's Volker Turk.
The United States is considering delaying, or even blocking, French President Emmanuel Macron's choice for France's
next ambassador to Washington following public French criticism of the
country's human rights record, according to four sources.
While
the sources said no decision has yet been taken, two said France's
criticism - delivered in a social media post by France's mission to the United Nations
in Geneva - had sparked genuine anger among some senior officials in US
President Donald Trump's administration. Two other sources said
officials were hoping to de-escalate tensions with France.
"The
United States is very disappointed in the irresponsible and
disrespectful rhetoric from the French," a State Department official
said. "We are responding appropriately to their comments."
A
US move to delay or reject Macron's nominee would be highly unusual and
could widen the fissure between the allies, who have recently clashed
over tariffs and the Iran war.
Macron has filed the relevant paperwork for Aurelien Lechevallier, a
former Elysee aide who is currently Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot's
chief of staff, to become France's next ambassador to Washington. France
had hoped to have him installed by September, one of the sources said.
But the process has run into difficulties since a post on X/Twitter by France's mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
In
the post on Saturday, the mission criticized Washington for joining
Russia, North Korea and seven other countries in voting against a
proposal to extend the mandate of Volker Turk, the UN human rights
chief, for another four years.
"The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore," the French mission wrote. "The world no longer listens to it."
One
of the sources said the post had been reviewed and approved through
official channels, dismissing suggestions that it was the work of a
junior staffer acting independently.
Tensions
flared further on Monday when the US delegation walked out as France
addressed a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, accusing
its ally of "disingenuous grandstanding."
France's
support for the renewal of Turk's mandate "does not preclude close
dialogue with the United States," a French diplomatic official said.
"Differences
of opinion regarding a vote do not call into question the quality of
our relationship or our ability to work together," the official added.
US-France relationship souring under Trump, Macron
France
has been a longstanding US ally, but relations have soured during
Trump's second term. While Trump and Macron speak regularly, that hasn't
stopped the US president from targeting France with tariffs, accusing
European governments of suppressing right-wing voices, and threatening
NATO allies over defense spending and Greenland.
Even
before the latest spat, Washington had been riled by Barrot's public
comments about the US government, one of the sources said.
Earlier
this month, Barrot posted on X/Twitter about a State Department program
that offered funding of up to $3 million to groups promoting
"civilizational self-confidence" in Europe.
The funding was offered by the State Department's Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), whose officials offered to support
far-right leader Marine Le Pen last year during her embezzlement trial.
"France and the Europeans will not tolerate any attempt at foreign
interference in their electoral processes, regardless of where it comes
from," Barrot wrote.
French officials have also been irked by US Ambassador to Paris Charles Kushner,
who is emblematic of a brash new breed of America-first diplomats
causing consternation across Europe. Kushner, whose son Jared is married
to Trump's daughter Ivanka, has twice failed to appear to summonses in
Paris following diplomatic incidents.
Critics allege Macron plans to install loyalists
The
process of installing an ambassador in Washington is carefully
prescribed. Before a foreign government can appoint its envoy, it must
first secure the confidential consent of the US government.
Washington
rarely slow-walks or rejects nominees publicly, diplomatic sources
said, with concerns typically resolved privately before a formal
decision is made.
Critics
allege that a wave of recent Macron nominations and appointments to key
jobs is part of an effort to install loyalists who can ensure his
legacy and hedge against a potential victory by the far-right in next
year's election.
Macron, whose approval ratings remain low, cannot run again in 2027.
In
recent months, he has appointed his former chief of staff, Emmanuel
Moulin, as head of France's central bank, while Richard Ferrand was
chosen to lead the Constitutional Council and Amélie de Montchalin to
head the Cour des Comptes, which certifies the public accounts. All are
key Macron allies.
The Elysee had no immediate comment on that criticism.
