Since the dawn of time, the dinner table has been part of diplomacy.
What better way to reconcile differences of opinion than over food and wine that do the same? Because the meanderings of thought always present enough misunderstandings in need of clarification to require at least the time of a gourmet meal, knowing that by a gourmet meal, the fries do not count as a starter, the burger as a main course, or the sundae as dessert.
By gourmet meal, we invoke at the very least the ceremonial element that shows the importance we attach to our guests; we call upon the quality of the preparation that illustrates the imperative of truthfulness and relevance in argumentation; we solicit the search for harmonies that highlights the imperative of being as attentive to our senses as to our table guests.
The meal allows us to share much more than the purpose of the meeting. It allows us to forge bonds that will last longer than our disagreements, as was the case during the Kennedy's visit on May 31, 1961. During the lunch offered in their honor, Charles de Gaulle took the opportunity to exchange and establish a relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy, seated on his right. Other areas of agreement, such as culture, would have to be found to compensate for the opposing perspectives: “For Kennedy, the defense of Europe and that of North America were inseparable. For de Gaulle, the defense of Europe and more particularly of France should not depend on the United States.” (André Kaspi, A la table des diplomates)
The General drives the point home: “Since no one can be sure any longer that the United States would use its nuclear weapons from the outset, Europe's security must be ensured by the European countries, not without the United States but not exclusively by the United States.” (At la table des diplomates)
The conversations remained cordial, despite this persistent disagreement. And while there are many disagreements in this world, they do not prevent people from sharing the table.
Thus, Yasser Arafat was the guest of honor on October 22, 1993 as “Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.” Indeed, since September 13, 1993, the PLO had acquired recognized international stature with the Oslo Accords signed on the lawn of the White House. He and his wife Soha were welcomed at the Quai d'Orsay, where the gastronomic institution served them Noix de Saint-Jacques aux Petits Légumes, a Grenadin de Veau aux Girolles, followed by cheeses and dessert. Fruit juices, exceptional wines and champagne added a touch of fizz to this consecration.
However, despite this gastronomic success crowning a diplomatic success, Arafat learned during his stay in Paris of the assassination of one of his loyalists in Gaza. It just goes to show that some people have trouble digesting the best of things.
If meals can crown successes, they can also feed expectations. Thus, on April 23, 1960, when General de Gaulle welcomed Nikita Khrushchev, the two heads of state had very specific objectives. Nikita, for his part, had just fallen out with Mao, who was asking him for the atomic bomb, while the Soviet Union's objective was to ease tensions between the major blocs in order to invest in the internal development of its empire. A lasting chill set in between these two communist brothers. Kissinger would take advantage of this coolness a decade later.
The General, for his part, sought to come to an agreement with the USSR: “For France, the Algerian question and decolonization are major concerns and an improvement in relations with the Soviet state is necessary. General de Gaulle then prepared to negotiate with the Algerians and wanted to ensure that the USSR would not support the FLN, and that Moscow would calm the French communists who were determined to act as advocates for the insurgents. For the Russian power, the Algerian affair seemed to be a way of influencing France's German policy and its relations with NATO.” (A la table des diplomates, Hélène Carrere d'Encausse)
Charles and Nikita believed it. Had the general not said a few months earlier (Nov. 22, 1959) that there was a Europe stretching from the Atlantic to the Urals? Lost in translation, perhaps had Nikita not understood. Because two months later, when an American spy plane was shot down over the USSR, France supported the USA, much to Nikita's dismay.
Despite these setbacks and disappointments, for those who understand the art of reasoned negotiation as opposed to positional bargaining, the meal remains the ideal place to identify win-win solutions. But these meals always remain discreet because it is only in the intimacy of the small table that the most innovative and daring ideas can take shape. Exposed to the Live feed and the excitement of the masses, any leader is doomed to entrench themselves in their toughest and most uncompromising position. It is not for nothing that the rapprochement between China and the USA, brokered by Kissinger, was conducted in the utmost secrecy. Even if it is for business.
Philippe Cartau
Translation by DeepL, corrected by author.
Photograph: Richard Nixon, Chou Enlai, left, Chang Chun-chiao 1972, Bettmann/Corbis
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