The senator from Alpes-Maritimes traveled to the United States in April as part of the Senate’s France–United States friendship group. The agenda included: economy, technology, and the fight against drug trafficking.
Alexandra Borchio Fontimp, the senator from Alpes-Maritimes, participated in a parliamentary mission to the United States along with three other French senators: Antoine Lefèvre, Sylvie Vermeillet, and David Ros. The trip was part of the exchanges of the France–United States friendship group.
In Washington, the delegation met with several members of Congress. These discussions focused on the tariffs recently mentioned by former President Donald Trump. The French senators expressed their concerns about the impact of these measures on French companies, especially those based in Florida. A 90-day pause decided by the American administration was welcomed as an opportunity to find common ground.
Alexandra Borchio Fontimp, also president of Côte d’Azur France Tourisme, presented the economic activity of the Alpes-Maritimes department. She emphasized the fragility of trade balances in a tense context. American lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, expressed their willingness to preserve dialogue.
Technology, innovation, and security on the agenda
The delegation then traveled to Florida, where they met with the French-American Chamber of Commerce and French Tech Miami. The objective was to understand the concrete consequences of trade tensions on French companies and to identify ways to maintain their competitiveness.
A visit to the Artificial Intelligence Center at Miami Dade College allowed for exchanges with the leaders of this institution. Possible links were discussed with the Sophia Antipolis Foundation and the Maison de l’Intelligence Artificielle. On this occasion, the parliamentarians also met Florent Rouxelin, a cryptocurrency specialist. The discussions focused on the rise of these digital currencies, notably in Alpes-Maritimes.
Finally, Alexandra Borchio Fontimp met with several representatives of American federal agencies, including the DEA. She presented a bill recently discussed in the Senate concerning the fight against drug trafficking in France. Fentanyl, a synthetic drug prevalent in the United States, was at the heart of the discussions. The senator warned about the extent of the phenomenon: “Fentanyl has supplanted all other drugs produced by drug traffickers, becoming the leading cause of death for 18-49-year-olds in the United States.”
This mission helped forge new contacts between French and American institutions. The delegation expressed its desire to see the cooperation strengthen in the coming months, around shared challenges.
