Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has declined to attend the COP31 conference that begins today in Antalya, Turkey, due to scheduling reasons. This absence has raised concerns among environmental supporters and has led to criticism from some officials and environmental activists.
Macron's Absence and Criticism
Nine years after the famous slogan "Make Our Planet Great Again," which earned Macron the title of global environmental champion, his absence from this conference is seen as a significant turning point in his presidency. Laurence Tubiana, a former diplomat and architect of the Paris Agreement, expressed concern, stating: "I don't understand why he is not attending this conference and why he is not supporting the European Union."
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This is the fourth time that Macron has declined to attend global environmental conferences. According to Monique Barbout, Minister of Ecological Transition, he used to enjoy participating in such conferences and should now feel regret.
Defending Macron's Absence
Macron's spokespeople believe that due to specific circumstances, he cannot attend this conference. Angus Penya-Ranouchere, former Minister of Ecological Transition, emphasized that "conferences in themselves are not important and should be seen as places for negotiation."
However, this absence reflects the inconsistencies in Macron's environmental policies. Some analysts believe that he, as a politician, has used these opportunities to present himself as a young and modern leader, but at the same time, has not taken sufficient actions in practice.
Reports indicate that in recent years, France has faced challenges in environmental policy. A significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has been observed in France, but this trend has severely slowed down in the past two years.
Criticism of Macron comes from two sides: on one hand, his supporters defend his international environmental activities, while on the other hand, critics argue that his actions at both national and global levels have failed to lead to real changes.
Ultimately, Macron's absence at COP31 is seen as a significant moment in his political history and reflects the major challenges related to environmental policies in France and Europe.
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