What do you do on Sunday? Ursula von der Leyen is trying to save the world. On March 17, the President of the European Commission, who is seeking a second term at the head of the institution, and five European heads of state and government were in Cairo to meet the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi. For long hours, they discussed together the country’s economic crisis and the fight against illegal immigration. Then they sat down at the table to initial a strategic partnership. Race review? Over the next few years, Europe will invest 7.4 billion euros in Egypt.
To receive Ursula von der Leyen with great fanfare, Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi made the surprising choice of wearing moccasins. In the hierarchy of men’s shoes, these shoes appear among the least formal and are, as such, often considered incompatible with wearing a suit. It remains to be seen what Donald Trump would think of it. In 2017, during a visit by the Egyptian president to the United States, Donald Trump, theatrically, marveled at his pair of black brogues: “Love your shoes! Boy, those shoes. Man! »
Since we are talking about shoes, note that Ursula von der Leyen is here wearing a pair of black pumps with a bow, referring us directly to Joséphine de Beauharnais. For what ? Because Napoleon’s wife from 1796 to 1809 was known for her absolute taste in fashion and her crazy passion for shoes. Owner, at the height of her art, of nearly five hundred pairs, the Empress particularly loved bow pumps, which she had made her signature and even her favorite medium of stylistic expression.
Let’s still stay at ground level to evoke the imposing carpet on which all these little people are placed. This allows us to pay tribute to the historical, but somewhat forgotten, know-how of Egypt in terms of carpet manufacturing. In the 15th century, Egyptian rugs were recognized for their exceptional quality. Made using a specific local technique, these mamluks were also distinguished by their colors, blue, red, ocher or green… Like here, on the presidential carpet.
Behind our two Sunday heroes stand the European and Egyptian flags. The latter was established by Hosni Mubarak upon his arrival in 1984. The ninth flag in the country’s history, it consists of three colors. Red represents the blood shed by martyrs while black refers to the country’s monarchical era. Between the two ? White and Saladin’s Eagle. The first represents the revolution of 1952 while the second symbolizes the unity of the Arab world. We also find this eagle on the flag of Iraq and Palestine.
