For Trump in Paris a commander in chief showcase

A head-of-state exit in the fullness of his powers, a debut on the great international stage, as disruptive as it is irritating, for Donald Trump who appeared in Paris with trusted sidekick Elon Musk at his side.

More than a month to go before he takes office in the White House, but it is already him, Trump, the commander in chief: in an abnormal transition of powers, never seen before, the right-wing leader, after having triumphed in the elections on 5 November, has already been acting as the president of the United States for weeks. The principle one president at a time, has been trampled upon, indeed overturned: Joe Biden, the old president, defeated and forgotten but still in office, is the past. While Trump is already the president, the only president: he intervenes directly, every day, in the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, he talks to leaders and diplomats halfway around the world, he moves forward with his economic agenda, threatening trade tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China.

The trilateral meeting at the Elysée Palace on Saturday, 7 December with Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky is a way of reaffirming who is in charge in Washington and beyond, as well as the effort to 'end the war in 48 hours', as promised during the election campaign. In the preceding days, behind the scenes also through super-minister Musk, the new administration's talks with Iranian diplomats had taken place. But it was from Paris that Trump confirmed the announced line on conflicts in the Middle East, beyond unconditional support for Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government: 'Syria is a disaster, but it is not our friend, and the United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight. Let's let the situation develop. Let's not get involved,' the tycoon commented on his social Truth.

The America First principle, as was already understood, transforms the United States into a power that only moves, overtly, in its own interest. It starts from scratch - the Trump anomaly is also this - in relations with allies, with Europe. As well as in the clash with China, the real adversary for the global leadership of the new America.

In international balances, Trump moves like a gunslinger in a saloon. And this bravado may well bring results, it certainly can in the short term. The world's leaders fear him, they don't know how to catch him, they compete to ingratiate themselves with him. Canadian Justin Trudeau, in order to curb the escalation on tariffs, has already been forced to fly to Mar-a-Lago, almost prostrating himself before Trump. While in the glittering renaissance of Notre-Dame, Macron, in search of prominence, wanted the Donald in the front row.