PARIS — The appointment of a new French foreign minister has created an opportunity for the United States to rebuild a relationship that was severely damaged by a dispute over Iraq war policy last year, diplomats and analysts say.
Michel Barnier, 53, last week replaced Dominique de Villepin, the flamboyant diplomat whose fervent criticism of the war in Iraq provoked anger and antipathy among U.S. officials.
The new director of French diplomacy is widely considered to be more reflective and conciliatory. Mr. Barnier has been described as a consensus builder who was known, in his previous job as European Union commissioner for regional policy and institutional reform, for his ability to patiently explain policy.
Critics deride him as lacking either humor or intellect. But in his new role, tact may prove more important.
“He’s much more subdued, not as brilliant. And he’s less flamboyant than his predecessor. And therefore, when he speaks and criticizes the U.S., he will do it in a more subdued manner,” said Guillaume Parmentier, director of the French Center on the United States at the French Institute of International Relations, or IFRI.
“On the other hand, he does not know the U.S. very well and his English is less fluent. But if the Americans are looking for someone who is less outspoken, they have found the right person.”
Mr. Barnier has already said he would like to restore ties with the United States, but not by allowing it to dominate Europe.
“We cannot have one superpower,” he said on French radio after his appointment. “I will plead for a partnership with the United States to rebuild and restore this strong alliance. But alliance is not allegiance. It is an alliance that is more balanced, that must be constructed with two powers.”
Mr. Barnier, a die-hard European and nationalist, has also said he will continue the policies of Mr. de Villepin in other spheres and, in any event, remains a close ally of President Jacques Chirac, whose leadership ultimately determines foreign policy.
As one of the key authors of the draft European constitution, Mr. Barnier has repeatedly stated that his first priority is to rebuild Europe.
“I am putting at the core of France’s foreign dealings the construction of Europe, which is, at the moment, an extremely passionate and serious interest,” he said, and he wants to “reinforce the influence of France in the European project.”
Despite the policy similarities to his predecessor, analysts are looking for a change of tone that will free the U.S.-French relationship from the emotional baggage that surrounded Mr. de Villepin.
The former foreign minister brought relations to a new low last year when he turned a Security Council meeting into an opportunity to criticize the United States over its military action in Iraq, an action that greatly angered Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.
“One of the things that made life difficult on many issues was that the trust between Powell and de Villepin was broken a year ago,” said Mr. Parmentier. “The onus is now on Powell to pick up the phone and establish a relationship with Barnier and create a real atmosphere of trust.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.