Macron to urge Milei against adopting all of Trump’s world view

France’s Emmanuel Macron will make a long-shot bid this weekend to convince Argentine President Javier Milei to help preserve the international order ahead of a key global summit. 

Macron will meet Milei right after the libertarian flew to Florida to effusively praise US president-elect Donald Trump, and right before the Group of 20 leaders summit in Brazil next week.

The French leader will try to persuade Milei to join efforts to protect the current consensus on international affairs and the environment as the world braces for Trump’s return to the White House, a senior Élysée official said.

Macron’s call is urgent given Trump’s disbelief in multilateralism and his contempt for climate and social issues, a second official said.

An Argentine official confirmed the French have signalled the topics will be high on the agenda in the Macron-Milei talks.

Macron has his work cut out for him in Buenos Aires. At Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort Thursday, Argentina's President lashed out against “the crumbling old regime” that he says includes “supernational organisations.” 

Speaking in front of the US president-elect and others, he added: “The political caste, the establishment, the swamp, or whatever you want to call it — to us it’s a cathedral of material and spiritual misery.” 

To that end, Argentina is already “re-evaluating” its strategy on climate change and reconsidering participation in the landmark Paris Agreement , though no decision has yet been taken, Milei’s Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein told The New York Times in an interview Thursday.

Earlier Thursday, Milei’s negotiating team left the annual United Nations climate conference taking place in Azerbaijan, only four days into the summit that runs through November 22. In the run-up to the G20 summit, Milei angered world diplomats in Brazil by refusing to sign onto language on gender equality. Milei called climate change “another socialist lie” last December.

The libertarian hopes a second Trump government will tip the scales in favor of Argentina at the International Monetary Fund just as the nation seeks a new deal to replace the $44 billion program currently in place. The Argentine leader has also been cozying up to Musk — the two have met at least three times this year, and the billionaire has said his companies are looking for ways to invest in Argentina.

Macron has long cast himself as the protector of a multilateral system in which the rule of law grants economic and social progress. 

Earlier Thursday, Milei’s negotiating team left the annual United Nations climate conference taking place in Azerbaijan, only four days into the summit that runs through November 22. In the run-up to the G20 summit, Milei angered world diplomats in Brazil by refusing to sign onto language on gender equality. Milei called climate change “another socialist lie” last December.

The libertarian hopes a second Trump government will tip the scales in favour of Argentina at the International Monetary Fund just as the nation seeks a new deal to replace the US$44-billion programme currently in place. The Argentine leader has also been cozying up to Musk — the two have met at least three times this year, and the billionaire has said his companies are looking for ways to invest in Argentina.

Macron has long cast himself as the protector of a multilateral system in which the rule of law grants economic and social progress.