The U.S. may block the appointment of France's new ambassador in Washington
The White House is considering delaying or completely blocking the candidacy of France's new ambassador to the United States, Aurélien Lechevallier, proposed by President Emmanuel Macron.
The reason for the possible démarche was harsh criticism of the human rights situation in the United States voiced by the French diplomatic mission. As the Reuters agency reports, citing four informed sources, a final decision has not yet been made in Washington. However, Paris's public statements caused extreme irritation among high-ranking representatives of Donald Trump's administration.
The cause of the diplomatic rift was a publication by France's mission to the UN in Geneva. On social media, French diplomats sharply criticized Washington's position, accusing the United States of regularly violating human rights. The reaction of the U.S. State Department followed immediately. "The United States is deeply disappointed by the irresponsible and disrespectful rhetoric of the French side. We will give an appropriate response to these comments," an official representative of the American foreign policy agency stated.
Paris is currently awaiting approval of the candidacy of Aurélien Lechevallier — a former adviser to the Élysée Palace who now heads the secretariat of Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The French authorities had expected that the new diplomat would officially take up his post in Washington by September.
Experts note that a potential refusal or even a prolonged delay of the agrément (consent to receive an ambassador) on the part of the United States is an extremely rare step in the practice of allied relations. This incident risks deepening even further the crisis between Washington and Paris, which have recently already faced serious disagreements over the imposed trade tariffs and the military escalation around Iran. However, according to sources, some diplomats in the White House and the State Department are still trying to find a compromise and prevent further escalation of the scandal.
