BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 8. Emmanuel Macron's claim to be a defender of international law has become nothing short of a farce. While the French president frequently touts his commitment to global justice, his actions and statements reveal a stark double standard.
As La Gazette du Caucase, a French online newspaper, highlights in its recent article, Macron’s rhetoric, especially regarding Azerbaijan, is nothing more than a hollow attempt to maintain an image of moral superiority on the world stage, all while turning a blind eye to the inconvenient truths that undermine his narrative.
Macron's tendency to belittle and patronize global leaders is well-documented. His dismissive comment in 2017, when he suggested that the Burkinabe president had gone "to fix the air conditioning," set a precedent for his condescending attitude towards African nations. But it is his recent behavior toward Azerbaijan that truly exposes the depths of his hypocrisy.
As highlighted in La Gazette du Caucase article, Macron’s unwavering support for Armenian separatists in Azerbaijan, despite the fact that Armenia has been backed by France's geopolitical adversaries Russia and Iran, raises serious questions about the coherence of his foreign policy. The article critiques Macron's approach, emphasizing the inconsistency of his actions in supporting a country that is aligned with nations that France views as its "enemies".
Yet, Macron has chosen to focus his criticism on Azerbaijan, particularly in relation to its actions in French overseas territories. This comes off as not just hypocritical but dangerously out of touch with the realities of international law. Macron claims that Azerbaijan interfered in French territories, notably New Caledonia, yet the French president conveniently ignores the much graver violations of international law committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan has long suffered from Armenia's brutal aggression, including ethnic cleansing, massacres, and other grave human rights violations. As La Gazette du Caucase points out, since 1987, over one million Azerbaijanis have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Yet, Macron's government has never held Armenia accountable for these actions. Instead, Macron has chosen to back Armenia, turning a blind eye to the real victims in this conflict - the Azerbaijani people.
Azerbaijan’s response to Macron's rhetoric, delivered by Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aykhan Hajizada, could not be clearer: France, which claims to defend international law, has consistently failed to condemn Armenia's crimes against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s military actions, on the other hand, are entirely justified under international law as part of its efforts to reclaim occupied territories. La Gazette du Caucase rightly emphasizes that Macron's failure to acknowledge this only highlights his lack of integrity and his willingness to turn a blind eye to real injustices when they don't fit his narrative.
In addition to his selective approach to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, Macron’s rhetoric about interference in French territories, such as Mayotte, is another example of his avoidance of uncomfortable truths. The UN has suggested that these territories should be allowed to determine their own future, yet France continues to impose its will, disregarding the rights of local populations. By scapegoating Azerbaijan, Macron deflects attention from the ongoing issues within France’s own territories, avoiding responsibility for his own government’s failures.