Vincent Kessler, Reuters | French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes US President Donald Trump at the Elysée Palace on the eve of the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day, 100 years after the end of the WWI, in Paris on November 10, 2018.

U.S. President Donald Trump should not meddle in French affairs, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday after Trump criticised France in two tweets following riots in Paris.

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Anti-government protesters faced off with riot police in Paris and other French cities on Saturday, hurling stones, torching cars and vandalising shops and restaurants in a fourth weekend of unrest that has shaken President Emmanuel Macron’s authority.

The Paris Agreement isn’t working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting “We Want Trump!” Love France. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018

“The Paris Agreement isn’t working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France,” Trump wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday.

“People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting “We Want Trump!” Love France,” Trump wrote.

Le Drian said on LCI television: “The yellow vest demonstration was not protesting in English, as far as I know.”

He said that images published in the United States with people chanting “We want Trump” were filmed during a Trump visit to London several months ago.

Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it’s time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? The U.S. was way ahead of the curve on that and the only major country where emissions went down last year! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018

In a separate tweet, Trump also said: “Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it’s time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? The U.S. was way ahead of the curve on that and the only major country where emissions went down last year!”

Le Drian said the French government does not comment on American politics and that this should work both ways.

The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France, 26%, and an unemployment rate of almost 10%. He was just trying to get onto another subject. By the way, there is no country more Nationalist than France, very proud people-and rightfully so!........ Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 13, 2018

“I say to Donald Trump, and the President of the Republic tells him too: we do not take part in American debates, let us live our life in our country,” he said.

Le Drian also said that most Americans disagreed with Trump over his decision to walk away from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

In the past few months, Trump has published a series of tweets criticising Macron’s climate and defence policies, as well as Macron’s low approval rating.

(REUTERS)

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