Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson lost je ne sais quoi over Brexit and Biden

French sources say that even if Macron wins in April he is in no rush to try and build fences with London and will expect the overture to come from Johnson. This a view shared by Charles Grant, the head of the centre for European Reform, who hosted Macron in London when his presidential ambition was still in its infancy.

“In more than 20 years of running a European think-tank I have never seen relations at such a low level of trust,” he said. “The common wisdom in London is that things can be rebuilt, but I am not so sure. Macron feels strongly that Johnson cannot be trusted and an election will not change that.”