Rabat, adorned with Moroccan and… French colors! The capital of Morocco, decorated with Moroccan and French flags, had warmly welcomed the French head of state. On Mohammed V Avenue, at the heart of the city, Macron had almost forgotten the political, economic, and social crises in France for which he was largely accountable. The state visit of Emmanuel Macron, received with great ceremony, aimed to solidify reconciliation between the two countries after three years of tensions. Paris had closed the door on visas, considering that Rabat was not doing enough in terms of "consular passes," an essential document for deporting offenders who were nationals of the kingdom. By going to Rabat, had Macron and Retailleau not gone to "Canossa"? With what concrete commitments on immigration did the Interior Minister return?

The French president had been accompanied on this visit by a diverse delegation from show business and leading French business executives. Among them were Catherine MacGregor of Engie, Henri Poupart-Lafarge of Alstom, Ross McInnes of Safran, Patrick Pouyanné of TotalEnergies, and Sabrina Soussan of Suez. Leaders from Veolia - Estelle Brachlianoff - and Thalès Alenia Space - Hervé Derrey were also part of the trip. On the first day of Macron's visit, both parties had announced contractual agreements worth 10 billion euros! Meanwhile, French industrial giants had been expanding primarily in the United States, a land of unshakeable growth.

On the diplomatic front, following the "Maghreb fiasco" — where the head of state had managed to strain France's relations with Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia all at once — Paris sought to mend ties with Morocco by conceding an initial acknowledgment of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a gesture condemned by Algiers. France had allowed itself for too long to be "trampled" by the provocative statements of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune without responding, until finally deciding to react. Macron had been led by the nose by Tebboune, naively believing that Algeria would pursue a sincere reconciliation while the Algerian war served as a symbolic asset for the ruling generals. It was a political tool that, instead of driving the Algerian economic engine, provided a smokescreen for the ruling power.

Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco had, unsurprisingly, been minimally commented on by the Algerian side, except for “Le Matin d’Algérie,” which saw it as a clear warming of French-Moroccan relations, previously frozen, at the expense of Algeria, as reported by Courrier International. The Moroccan interlude had quickly closed for Macron, caught in an inextricable domestic situation due to his mistakes and arrogance: a budgetary crisis, a government on the brink, a fractured nation like never before, rising violence and insecurity, and an uncontrolled migration flow.