French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday condemned the “method” used by the Trump administration in removing socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela over the weekend.
After facing criticism from the French left for his initial statements, which focused on the heinous rule of the Maduro regime and the impending transition of power in Caracas, President Macron joined with other leftist-run states such as Spain in criticising Washington’s bold military operation, which successfully captured the former socialist dictator, removed him from the country in just over two hours, and brought him and his wife to the United States to face charges of narco-terrorism.
In comments made to the Council of Ministers, Macron said that the “method used” by the Trump administration to seize Maduro was “neither supported nor approved” by France, Le Figaro reported.
However, the French leader did caveat that the toppling of Maduro was “good news for Venezuelans”.
It came after days of heavy criticism from leftists in Paris, including La France Insoumise (France in Rebellion/LFI) party leader and former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who said that Macron’s initial statement, which did not condemn the United States, “shames” France.
“Macron’s stance is not the voice of France. He shames us. He abandons international law. Dark day for our country,” the leftist leader said on Saturday.
Similarly, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also facing a brewing rebellion on his left over his stance on the removal of Maduro. In what has been described by the Times of London as a “deliberately opaque” stance that was likely the “product of hours of careful crafting”, Starmer said that he would “shed no tears” about the overthrow of an “illegitimate president”.
While the British PM “reiterated” his government’s support for “international law”, the former human rights attorney did not specifically say whether London believed the Caracas operation had violated international agreements like the U.N. Charter.
The prevaricating response has riled leftist members of Starmer’s backbenchers, including Socialist Campaign Group leader Richard Burgon, who called on the PM to “stand up to Trump’s gangster politics” and “respond to an illegal bombing and kidnapping by Trump in exactly the way he would if Putin had carried it out”.
“Either Keir Starmer believes in international law – or he doesn’t,” Burgon added.
Meanwhile, in a belated statement released Sunday evening on behalf of European Union member states, excluding Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, Brussels’ top diplomat Kaja Kallas called for “calm and restraint by all actors, to avoid escalation and to ensure a peaceful solution to the crisis.”
While the statement again expressed support for “international law”, the EU member states noted that “Nicolás Maduro lacks the legitimacy of a democratically elected president and has advocated for a Venezuelan-led peaceful transition to democracy in the country, respectful of its sovereignty.”
In an apparent rhetorical concession to Giorgia Meloni’s Italy, the statement said that “the EU shares the priority of combating transnational organised crime and drug trafficking, which pose a significant security threat worldwide.” Still, it cautioned that such operations should be carried out in accordance with “international law and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
“We are in close contact with the United States, as well as regional and international partners to support and facilitate dialogue with all parties involved, leading to a negotiated, democratic, inclusive and peaceful solution to the crisis, led by Venezuelans. Respecting the will of the Venezuelan people remains the only way for Venezuela to restore democracy and resolve the current crisis,” the statement added.