After Truss's ‘friend or foe’ remark, Macron says ‘UK is a friend regardless…’

"If I become prime minister, I would judge him on deeds not words. The jury's out," Liz Truss, one of the frontrunners to become the next British PM, said.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said that regardless of whoever replaces Boris Johnson as the next British prime minister, Great Britain will always remain an ally of his country. His statement comes after British foreign secretary Liz Truss, one of the frontrunners to become the next UK PM and a favourite against Conservative rival Rishi Sunak, refused to answer if the French leader was a “friend or a foe”.

French President Emmanuel Macron. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN/AFP)

"If I become prime minister, I would judge him on deeds not words. The jury's out," she said to Tory grassroots members, who applauded her answer.

Macron was asked about his take on Truss's statement during his visit to Algeria. "The British people, the United Kingdom, is a friendly, strong and allied nation, regardless of its leaders, and sometimes in spite of its leaders or the little mistakes they may make in grandstanding," he told reporters.

Britain's opposition Labour Party foreign affairs spokesperson David Lammy criticised Truss for her statement, saying the fact she chose to “needlessly insult” one of Britain's closest allies “shows a terrible and worrying lack of judgement”.

However, British finance minister and Truss supporter Nadhim Zahawi backed her fellow colleague, calling Truss's remark light-hearted. “Liz and I both know that France is a strategic ally,” she added.

The relation between France and Britain has been low in wake of Brexit. The two countries have also shown contrasting approaches to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Johnson's father Stanley Johnson had gained French citizenship in May this year, and called Macron a “very good buddy of our country”.

(With agency inputs)