Macron, Carney to visit French Atlantic islands with sovereignty message to Trump

Carney will join Macron in the archipelago on 20 September during a three-day presidential visit running from 19 to 21 September, the Élysée Palace announced on Sunday.

The trip is intended to highlight the values shared by France and Canada – including “freedom, democracy, the rule of law and respect for the sovereignty of nations”, according to the French presidency.

The announcement comes after Trump posted an image on social media on Monday showing a map of North America in which Canada, Greenland, Mexico, much of Central America and the Caribbean, as well as Iceland, were covered by the US flag.

The image also appeared to encompass several French overseas territories, including Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon, Guadeloupe and Martinique.

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A joint defence of sovereignty

The visit is expected to send a carefully calibrated diplomatic message at a time when the US president has repeatedly voiced territorial ambitions involving Canada and Greenland.

“In a world marked by the return of power politics, geopolitical tensions and new forms of dependency, France and Canada share a common ambition: to work together, and with all countries that share these values, to strengthen their capacity to make decisions and act independently,” the Élysée said.

The French presidency said it would be the first official visit to Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon by a Canadian prime minister, adding another landmark to the two countries' close relationship.

Located about 20 kilometres off the Atlantic coast of Canada, the archipelago is home to around 6,000 people and lies some 4,300 kilometres from mainland France.

Macron is due to stop there before travelling to New York, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The territory's strategic position has previously placed it at the centre of international tensions. During the Second World War, Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon was controlled by France's collaborationist Vichy regime after the German occupation of France.

In December 1941, forces loyal to General Charles de Gaulle seized the islands and brought them under Free French control. The move was opposed by the administration of US president Franklin D Roosevelt, which had sought to maintain existing arrangements with the government of Marshal Philippe Pétain.

The forthcoming trip will be the first by a French head of state since François Hollande visited the archipelago in 2014.

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Climate adaptation in focus

Alongside its diplomatic significance, Macron's visit will also draw attention to the growing impact of climate change on the remote territory.

The village of Miquelon has begun moving inland as it faces an increasing threat from rising sea levels and coastal flooding. The project is widely considered to be France's first climate-driven relocation of an entire community.

Authorities have been preparing a new settlement on higher ground, offering residents a chance to rebuild away from the vulnerable coastline. The initiative has placed Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon at the forefront of efforts to adapt to environmental change while preserving local life and identity.

By travelling together to the archipelago, Macron and Carney are expected to underline both countries' commitment to protecting established borders and strengthening their ability to respond collectively to geopolitical and environmental pressures.

(with newswires)