The relationship between French President Emmanuel Macron and the head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, has deteriorated in recent weeks, Report informs via Politico.
The publication describes an incident during the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in early December 2024.
“Musk may have left Paris with a bad taste in his mouth after protocol caught up with the eccentric American entrepreneur. Just as everyone had been received in the proper order and the ceremony was about to begin, Musk strode off to find a seat in the front row alongside Trump.
“He was the master of the house,” said a French lawmaker who attended the ceremony.
Organizers eventually relegated Musk to the ninth row, behind elected French representatives, so the then-president-elect could be seated in between Macron and his wife.
Barely a month later, Macron accused the American billionaire of fueling a “new international reactionary movement” after wading into German and British politics, backing far-right figures in both countries.
Macron and Musk, who are in direct contact with each other according to three people close to the two men, have for several years been fueling a friendship that’s turned into something of a soap opera. But the relationship never really bore fruit for France.