Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has revealed that during acrimonious Brexit negotiations, French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to punish the United Kingdom (UK) for leaving the European Union (EU), news agency AFP reported on Monday, September 30.
In the latest excerpts from his memoir “Unleashed” due to be published next month, Johnson said the French leader saw Brexit as “a terrible snub to the EU and to his view of the world”.
Macron tried to “put his Cuban-heeled bootee into Brexit Britain” over various issues, which included “weaponising” the issue of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats during the protracted divorce talks, Johnson claimed in his book.
“It seemed at least possible to me that he was weaponising the problem, Belarus-style, and discreetly allowing the migrants to come across,” the former British PM has written.
Further, Johnson said that Macron was “personally charming” and the pair “often agreed on important issues” but that “he really meant it when he said that Brexit Britain must be punished”.
“On some issues I am afraid I therefore suspected him of being a positive nuisance.”
Boris Johnson’s memoir is set for UK publication on October 10.
AUKUS military alliance
In his book, Johnson also discusses how he “put French noses badly out of joint” by agreeing to the AUKUS military alliance.
He said the deal for Australia to break a contract to procure nuclear submarines from France and buy them from the US and UK was secretly sealed at a 2021 G7 summit in Britain.
“My most important job at Carbis Bay was to organise a discreet three-way meeting… without being rumbled by the French,” he writes of convening US President Joe Biden and Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
“In great secrecy we pulled it off,” Johnson writes, adding the subsequent announcement meant “they all went predictably tonto in Paris”.