Paris Motor Show: the day Emmanuel Macron went to the fair to see cars, spread charm, do politics and ignore Chinese brands

Anyone who thinks that the Paris Motor Show is just a fair to show cars to the world is mistaken.

It is true that they are there, in their hundreds, on display, for all tastes, sensibilities and wallets, throughout this week but, in addition to the machines themselves – increasingly connected to electricity – this is also a privileged stage for the game from geopolitics on a global scale, to major behind-the-scenes maneuvers between brands, market operators and commercial agents, and also large and sophisticated marketing campaigns as refined and astute as one can imagine.

And then, there was also space, this Monday, October 14th, for the French president, Emmanuel Macron, take part in a highly publicized passage lasting almost an hour through some pavilions at the Paris Motor Showbut only with visits to major brands hand-picked by their team and members of their ‘entourage’.