Macron touts Biden victory: Chance to ‘make our planet great again’

French President Emmanuel Macron has applauded President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election, calling it a chance to “make our planet great again,” Reuters reports.

Macron’s comments come after he had a phone call with Biden earlier this week, joining other world leaders to personally congratulate the president-elect, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The French leader said having Biden in the Oval Office will reinforce the validity of the Paris climate agreement, which Biden has pledged to have the U.S rejoin on the first day of his presidency.

“It is proof that we had to stand firm against all the headwinds,” Macron said on Thursday during an online summit, according to Reuters. “ ‘Make our planet great again’ is a possibility, not just in words but also in deed.”

President Trump had long campaigned on pulling out of the Obama-era climate pact and announced in 2017 that the U.S. would leave the accord, though he announced a withdrawal before guidelines in the deal allowed. As a result, the U.S. officially exited the agreement this month.

Macron launched his climate initiative “Make Our Planet Great Again” in June 2017, playing on Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

Biden is expected to reverse many of Trump’s environmental policies when he is sworn into office.