French press review 30 May 2017

The French commentators gives a thumbs-up to salute President Emmanuel Macron for scaling through his first diplomatic hurdles with remarkable talent.

Le Figaro says he passed the formidable test of meeting Donald Trump and then Russian leader Vladmir Putin at a glitzy reception at the sumptuous Versailles Castle with style and without taboo, once again setting the firm and direct tone at a stage of his term of his office when he wasn't expected to do more.

For the publication, his words and posture speak volumes about what is in the back of his mind on Ukraine, Syria as well as other issues which have been the topic of waffling and little action on the part of Western leaders for a very long time.

That's a rare compliment from a diehard right-wing critic of the new French President.

Macron is betting on dialogue with Putin,  Les Echos  said in today's editorial, the economic newspaper, which expresses satisfaction that the new French leader has set out to mend broken bridges linking the Elysée and the Kremlin on one hand, and between Moscow and the West on the other.

By reviving ties without waiting for dialogue entangled over the last years, it says, Macron is demonstrating that no issue is too hot or complicated to merit being excluded from his diplomatic engagements with the world's most powerful leaders, no matter how muscular the exchanges may be.

For Le Parisien/Aujourd'hui en France, it was indeed gratifying to see Macron and Putin  so relaxed at their first meeting without trying to hide the sticking issues poisoning relations between the two countries.

Monday's meeting, held in an opulent setting, respectful of Russian sensibilities but  enabled the two leaders to move bilateral relations between their two countries away from the blind alley where they had been headed. That's the view held by Ouest France.

For its part, Libération holds the opinion that even if there wasn’t any break through at the Versailles summit, a feel good atmosphere now hangs over Franco-Russian relations.

L'Est Républicain agrees. It is also no exaggeration to say that the French leader actually managed to charm the man it brands as the "iciest" of world leaders.

"Now is time to convert the try", says l'Humanité. The Communist daily calls for a radical shift from what it calls the empty bragging that characterized the previous government's policy towards Russia, so that France can start talking directly to the Kremlin, with the same sense of purpose as Paris engages Donald Trump and China.