Macron and Carney in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon with a "strong message" for Trump

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was welcomed Sunday by Emmanuel Macron to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon for an unprecedented visit to this small French territory in the North Atlantic, intended to reaffirm the unity of Canada, France and Europeans in the face of recurring attacks from Donald Trump.

The two leaders greeted each other with a warm handshake and a long embrace at midday, under a fitting sun, at the foot of the gangway of the Prime Minister's plane, which was painted in the colours of Canada.

"In a world in crisis, our friendship is a strength. Together we affirm our sovereignty, our freedom to decide and our will to build a future of peace and prosperity," the French president wrote on X.

Mark Carney, the first Canadian head of government to set foot in Saint-Pierre, arrived as a neighbour, the French archipelago being separated by only about twenty kilometres from the Canadian province of Newfoundland, but 4,300 kilometres from the metropolis.

The two leaders will make a highly anticipated joint statement after a working lunch, as the American president regularly threatens Canada with annexation and recently published a map covering the entire region of the American flag, including Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

This territory is indeed "French", "that's obvious": Emmanuel Macron set the scene as soon as he arrived in Saint-Pierre on Saturday evening, deploring "strange ideas" on the subject.

The French president also promised "a strong message" with his Canadian host in the face of a thunderous American president who considers this part of the world as his private hunting ground.

- High expectations -

In search of other sources of oil supply in the face of soaring prices caused by the war in the Middle East, Mr. Macron also hopes to find alternatives from the Canadians, major producers.

He specifically expressed his wish that "more (Canadian) liquefied gas would go towards the Atlantic coast" and therefore Europe, and more broadly emphasized new "prospects for cooperation" with Canada.

Mark Carney has just returned from Strasbourg where on Thursday he formalized a major rapprochement between his country and the European Union, triggering in the process a new anger from the American president who promised to retaliate with sanctions.

The French head of state will also try to meet the expectations of this small archipelago of 5,800 inhabitants, plagued by the end of the golden age of cod fishing, which combines high cost of living, demographic decline and climate threat.

Emphasizing that climate "must remain the fight of the century", he went at the beginning of his visit to the village of Miquelon (600 inhabitants), which has begun to relocate its inhabitants one and a half kilometers away in the face of rising waters.

He met with two families, among the pioneers of this great relocation, who have already built their new homes, promising to accelerate the project, with a new phase aimed at completing the relocation of half the population "by 2033".

Phase 2 of this relocation, a colossal undertaking on the scale of the archipelago, requires 25 million euros, according to local officials.

So far, about ten houses have been built. But the project is expected to be lengthy and is far from being unanimously supported. "It creates tension between those who are for it and those who are against it," summarizes 73-year-old resident Lise Leloche.

- "A new chapter" -

Emmanuel Macron will also make "announcements" on the military resources of the archipelago, where only an old patrol boat is stationed and whose replacement is delayed.

Expectations remain high regarding Canada's fishing quotas, not to mention the dispute over the delimitation of France's continental shelf in this area.

"The objective of this visit is to mark a new page," said Emmanuel Macron, recalling "the very difficult year" in 1992, which sealed the fate of cod fishing in the archipelago with the introduction of a moratorium.

Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, which is looking for a new economic vocation, is now focusing on space, thanks to its geographical positioning.

The archipelago already hosts a ground satellite station for the European Galileo navigation system and two French start-ups, Skynopy and Look up, will make announcements in this area during the visit.

Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon also hopes to find itself on the route of a digital cable project that is to link Brittany to New York and which would allow it to secure data flows in the space domain.

All these investments "demonstrate the strategic importance of the island," Emmanuel Macron said.