France took, on Saturday January 1, for six months the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which represents the interests of the 27 member states vis-à-vis the Commission and the European Parliament. During this presidency, Emmanuel Macron will have “more the position of compromise maker than of goad”, explained Saturday on franceinfo Florent Parmentier, secretary general of Cevipof, teacher at Sciences Po. It will mainly be “the opportunity to send a number of messages” on its priority sites.
franceinfo: Can France really have influence in Europe on certain subjects?
Florent Parmentier: Clearly, a presidency is an opportunity to send a certain number of messages. So we don’t get the messages across on our own. The European Union is made up of 27 member states. So, naturally, we have to work with the 26 other Member States. This is done on several levels. This is done through diplomatic alliance games, for example with the support of Germany, since the German chancellor has shown himself to be quite favorable to the proposed agenda, and to all the proposals that may have been made. Emmanuel Macron. And then this also happens in what is called a triplet. The rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union is six months away. So we can hardly move forward in six months a certain number of subjects which are of much longer term. So the French presidency is working with its successors: the Czech presidency, which will take place from July 1, then the Swedish presidency, which will take place after the Czech presidency.
Isn’t it a bit complicated to maintain neutrality when you chair the Council of the European Union?
This position is more the position of compromise-maker than of goad. We can be a spur. Since his election in 2017, Emmanuel Macron, on several occasions, has put the European question at the heart of his concerns. We remember that in the European Parliament elections in 2019, he was extremely present. He took part in working a little on the balance of power within this European Parliament, among those who are in favor of concrete European advances to respond to health and economic challenges, to respond to geopolitical rivalries. Emmanuel Macron is extremely present to have a sovereign Europe. And he can also talk about climate change. It is on this set of general challenges that Emmanuel Macron will have to position himself, and highlight his ability to compromise, since that is what will be sought during this presidency.
Emmanuel Macron has set a number of priority projects, minimum wage, regulation of digital giants, introduction of a carbon tax on products imported into Europe. Will he have time to do everything?
The most likely answer is: probably not. Since we can see that the question of the regulation of the digital giant, to take this subject alone, are rather technical questions of taxation and taxation at the global level. And on this, it has been a few years since the French governments tried to advance their pawns. The same goes for the installation of a minimum wage where it depends on each Member State which is sovereign in the matter. It can advance and share a number of progressions. Perhaps he will have more chances on a more consensual subject which is that of the carbon tax outside the European Union. Despite the priorities that presidents may set for themselves, there are also political situations which may facilitate or, on the contrary, make the adoption of certain texts more complicated. It should be remembered at this level that the Omicron variant will perhaps be one of the justices of the peace of this French presidency.
Is this French presidency an opportunity or a springboard for Emmanuel Macron before the presidential election?
This can be a stepping stone, simply because it will speak to his or her electorate’s heart. In a first round of a presidential election, we will try to convince the heart of his electorate. So there is, for him, the possibility of offering himself, by the force of circumstances and by the nature of his functions, a reinforced international visibility. He may have some results to suggest. Since the installation of a minimum wage at the level of all the countries of the European Union would be a step forward for all those who say to themselves that Europe must be more social, that Europe must protect each other more. others. And then, maybe his ability to show off his sense of compromise can be beneficial to him.
Conversely, we can mention the fact that he will not be in the context of a presidential election where he will only have to “deal with current affairs” at the French level. There will perhaps be several times of this French presidency. An initial period which will certainly be productive and which will display ambitions, two or three months which will be, before the presidential election, probably more complicated. And then, we must not forget the legislative elections which will also have consequences. We can see that there will be both a subtle balance between political obligations and more technical obligations which will have to be taken into account in the case of the French presidency.