Europe prepares for more transactional relationship, Trump makes sudden foray into Paris
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Donald Trump’s reopening at Notre Dame in Paris on Saturday marked his return to the world stage as Europe braces for a tougher, more transactional approach to the transatlantic relationship from the incoming administration.
The event, which attracted about 50 world leaders, came at a defining moment for Europe, with Trump warning of punitive tariffs and pushing for a speedy end to the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Macron will seek to open up dialogue on pressing issues during the two-day event and also appears to be trying to broker a first meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the schedule released by the presidential palace, the French president will meet with Trump at the Elysee Palace on Saturday afternoon, followed by Zelensky.
With Ukraine relying heavily on U.S. weapons to fight Russia, Zelensky has lobbied Trump not to abandon their cause or force them to accept unfavorable peace terms.
For Macron, brokering an informal meeting would be a diplomatic coup.
“This will be a moment of high-level diplomacy to build connections and a moment for leaders to try to gather hints about what Trump will do once he takes office,” said Patrick Martin-Guinier, a professor of international relations at Sciences Po in Paris.
European leaders, many of whom fear Trump’s return, have now begun to warm up to him.
The reopening is a victory for Macron, who has advocated restoring the cathedral that was nearly destroyed in a 2019 fire within five years.
Macron, one of a handful of European leaders who served during Trump’s first term, hopes to draw on his experience dealing with the unpredictable 78-year-old president-elect.
During Trump’s first term, Macron courted the U.S. president with flattery and pomp and invited him to the Bastille Day military parade, sparking a brief friendship that fell apart due to U.S. tariffs on French goods such as cognac.
Trump announced on social media that he would attend the reopening ceremony and praised Macron for his “outstanding job” in quickly restoring the cathedral “to its full glory.” He added: “This will be a special day for everyone!”
The presence of high-profile figures in Trump’s delegation to represent him in the Middle East provided further diplomatic opportunities outside Notre Dame.
His entourage includes Steve Witkoff, the special envoy who recently held talks with Israel and Qatar on a ceasefire in Gaza, and Trump’s daughter, the adviser responsible for maintaining the U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon. Tiffany’s father-in-law, Massad Boulos.
Trump last week named another family connection as U.S. ambassador to France: real estate developer Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Around 3,000 visitors, including the Prince of Wales and the presidents of Germany and Italy, will be the first to witness the new bright interiors, which have removed any trace of the fire.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to start at 7pm local time, but the outdoor portion, including a star-studded concert, was canceled due to bad weather.
The Gothic masterpiece of Notre Dame will officially reopen as a place of worship when the Archbishop of Paris knocks on the cathedral’s towering wooden doors and files to the altar.
