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SWEDEN AND FRANCE

IN PICS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Sweden

Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday began the first state visit to Sweden by a French President since that of Jacques Chirac 24 years ago. Here are the best pictures of the visit so far.

Published: 30 January 2024 15:32 CET
IN PICS: French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Sweden
French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with King Carl XVI Gustaf during his state visit to Sweden on Tuesday. Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP

The French delegation arrived on Monday night at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport, with France’s ambassador Etienne de Gonneville posting a picture of the arrival on X. 

Macron’s first appointment of the day was not with his Swedish hosts but with the French community in Stockholm.

He greeted a room full of French people living in Stockholm, together with French ambassador to Sweden Etienne de Gonneville, French Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, and French Higher Education and Research Minister Sylvie Retailleau.

Macron and his ministers stood on stage together during a playing of the French national anthem (pictured below). 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
Macron then made a speech to the French community (pictured below). 
 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
After that, he moved on to Sweden’s Royal Palace, where he inspected Grenadiers from the Life Guard regiment, together with King Carl XVI Gustaf. 
 

Photo: Ludovic Marin
 
The general public were allowed into the central courtyard of the palace to watch the ceremony.  
 

Photo: Ludovic Marin

 

Macron greeted the crowd along with his wife Brigitte, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, and other senior members of the delegation.  

 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
He then walked out with King Carl XVI Gustaf, who was wearing full military uniform, together with a red bandarole.
 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
The two then inspected the soldiers gathered in the courtyard. 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
After which they held a joint press conference. 
 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
The Macrons and the Royal Couple then posed for a photo inside the Royal Palace, along with the Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel (right), and the Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia (left). 
 

Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP
 
Macron then moved across the Norrström river to the Rosenbad Palace, the site of the offices of Sweden’s prime minister, where he met Ulf Kristersson for a fika of coffee and cinnamon buns, as promised on Monday in Kristersson’s welcome message on Instagram.   
 

Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
 
The two then held a joint press conference in which Ulf Kristersson heaped praise on Macron for his “impressive” speeches that set the agenda for the European Union, most over the block’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
 
Macron in turn praised Sweden for being “an inspiration” for the way it combines a successful economy with a strong welfare state. 
 

Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT

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SWEDEN AND FRANCE

Sweden and France to sign nuclear and defence deals during Macron visit

Sweden and France will sign a series of deals on nuclear power technology, defence and other industries during this week's visit from President Emmanuel Macron, the head of Sweden's trade promotion agency has confirmed.

Published: 30 January 2024 09:51 CET
Sweden and France to sign nuclear and defence deals during Macron visit

More than a hundred of the most powerful business leaders from France and Sweden are due to meet in Stockholm’s City Hall on Tuesday, with several cooperation agreements expected to be signed.

Then on Wednesday, the two countries are set to sign a cooperation agreement on nuclear research at the offices of Alfa Laval in Lund. 

“The hope is that that we can also sign agreements on defence cooperation,” Jan Larsson, the chief executive of Business Sweden, who led the arrangement of the meeting of business leaders, told the TT newswire. 

“When you consider the geopolitical situation, it’s also important to keep in mind that France and Sweden lead the world in the defence industry. That’s why we hope to be able to sign concrete agreements on cooperation in this area.” 

In a joint article in the Dagens Nyheter and Les Echos newspapers, Macron and Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, emphasised the importance of the two countries’ defence cooperation. 

“Renewed threats on the European continent are leading Sweden and France to take concrete steps to strengthen our defence ties. Both through our  countries’ strong defence industries and by becoming NATO allies as soon as possible,” the two wrote. 

Leaders from Swedish business giants such as Ericsson, Vattenfall and Ikea, are expected to take part in the seminar, together with leaders from the French defence giants MBDA and Airbus. 

Government officials told the AFP newswire that the two countries would sign a declaration of intent on air defence and air surveillance systems, while the arms companies Saab and MBDA were expected to agree on a contract on the development of the Akeron anti-tank missile “in the next few days”. 

France is Sweden’s eighth biggest trade partner, buying some 78 billion kroner of Swedish goods in 2023, at the same time as the 160 Swedish businesses active in France invest about €6bn in the country annually.   

France is also one of the world’s leading producers of nuclear power, with 56 reactors contributing about 70 percent of the country’s power requirements, the highest share of any country. 

Sweden’s government is hoping to push through a revival in nuclear power, aiming to build a chain of new nuclear power stations over the next 20 years. 

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