Policy Breakfast with French Ambassador to the US

November 6, 2019

Breakfast with Ambassador Philippe Etienne, November 4, 2019

The French-American Foundation hosted Ambassador Philippe Etienne, the newly nominated Ambassador of France to the United States as of September 2019, for its Policy Breakfast series on November 4. He was most recently Diplomatic Advisor to President Emmanuel Macron from 2017 to 2019.

Ambassador Etienne is an expert on the European Union, having previously held numerous posts within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, where he was based in Moscow, Belgrade, Bucharest, Bonn, Berlin, and Brussels. He also served as an Advisor in the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Given his background, the discussion covered topics such as the strength of the European Union, Brexit, European privacy laws, and the regulation of social media corporations. Guests also asked questions about American officials’ views of France, the rise of nationalism in Europe and the United States, and tackling terrorism on both sides of the Atlantic.

Noting the Young Leaders in the room, Ambassador Etienne mentioned the importance of the Young Leaders program and of initiatives that bring together people from both countries to engage in dialogue that strengthens transatlantic bonds.

Photos credit: Kari Bjorn www.karibjorn.com

Learn more about the Policy Breakfast series