Emmanuel Macron’s Surprise Power Play: What His Latest Move Means for France and Europe

French President Emmanuel Macron began a week-long tour of Southeast Asia on Sunday, landing in Hanoi for the first visit to Vietnam by a French head of state in nearly ten years to pitch France as a “reliable partner” in defense, energy and technology. H2 Historic return to Hanoi Macron’s arrival underscores Paris’ effort to revive historical ties with its former colony while expanding access to the region’s fast-growing markets. Vietnamese President Luong Cuong elevated bilateral relations to the highest “strategic partnership” level last year; Macron is now seeking to convert that goodwill into concrete contracts and geopolitical influence. H2 $ Airbus windfall boosts aviation ties Low-cost carrier VietJet agreed to purchase 20 A330neo wide-body jets from Airbus, cementing Europe’s planemaker as the dominant supplier for Vietnam’s airlines—already 86 % of the country’s fleet is Airbus aircraft. The order, announced alongside Macron, could be worth roughly $6 billion at list prices and positions France to benefit from Vietnam’s booming post-pandemic travel demand. H2 Defense, satellites and nuclear cooperation Fourteen agreements signed on Monday span satellite technology, cybersecurity, railways and vaccines, but the centerpiece is a pledge for deeper defense collaboration—information-sharing, joint industry projects and maritime security training aimed at bolstering Vietnam’s ability to deter pressure in the South China Sea. Airbus Defence and Space also inked a declaration of intent to explore a next-generation earth-observation satellite to replace Vietnam’s aging VNREDSat-1. H2 Navigating US tariff threats and China’s shadow Macron’s charm offensive comes as President Donald Trump threatens 50 % tariffs on EU goods from 1 June, a deadline just extended to 9 July, and as Washington presses Hanoi to buy more American products to close its trade surplus. By offering French alternatives in aviation, energy and nuclear power, Macron hopes to keep European firms in the game while emphasizing a rules-based order against “coercive” practices from larger powers. H2 Tour continues to Indonesia and Singapore After Hanoi, Macron heads to Jakarta and then Singapore, where he will address Asia’s premier security forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue, to pitch France’s Indo-Pacific vision and court additional deals. Analysts say success in Vietnam could give Macron momentum to secure renewable-energy and tech partnerships in the next two stops, reinforcing his message that Europe can be Asia’s third strategic option.