From the Sorbonne to the Sorbonne 2… Emmanuel Macron delivers a new speech on the theme of Europe at the Parisian university, Thursday April 25, seven years after having undergone a similar exercise in the same place. The opportunity for the Head of State to once again share his perspectives on the future of the EU a little over a month before the European elections, he who has made his European commitment one of his brands factory.
In March 2019, a few months before the previous European elections, he addressed all EU citizens in a letter, in which he detailed several proposals for “a European renaissance”. An appeal to public opinion on the continent, because France, despite its influence in Brussels, cannot decide anything alone on a European scale: each development requires finding agreements between the 27 member states, and a majority among European deputies.
Five years later, some Suggestions were taken up by European institutions, such as the objective of achieving carbon neutrality in 2050, but others remained a dead letter. While the Elysée, when contacted, refused to comment on the fate of Emmanuel Macron’s proposals, franceinfo takes stock of the main avenues launched by the French president.
Setting an ambitious climate policy: partly achieved
“The European Union must set its ambition – 0 carbon in 2050, halving pesticides in 2025 – and adapt its policies to this requirement: European Climate Bank to finance the ecological transition; European health force to strengthen controls of our food against the threat of lobbies, independent scientific assessment of substances dangerous to the environment and health…”
As part of the Green Deal, the EU has set the objective, in 2021, of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and of reducing its CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030. A series of texts important measures have been adopted to lead the 27 to this objective, such as the ban on the sale of new vehicles with thermal engines from 2035. The European Court of Auditors, however, estimated on Tuesday that the efforts were not sufficient to achieve these objectives.
No European Climate Bank has also been created, but, in 2019, the European Investment Bank gave itself a roadmap on the subject. Likewise, the EU has not put in place “sanitary force”a request reiterated by Emmanuel Macron on February 1, on the sidelines of a European Council in Brussels, after the angry movement of French farmers.
In this same context, the European Commission proposed to withdraw a text aimed at halving the use of pesticides in the EU by 2030 (and not 2025 as Emmanuel Macron called for in 2019). The European Parliament had already rejected it in November.
A reform of the Schengen area: partly achieved
“Anyone who wants to participate [à l’espace Schengen] must fulfill obligations of responsibility and solidarity. A common border police and a European asylum office, strict control obligations, European solidarity to which each country contributes, under the authority of a European Internal Security Council.”
A reform of the Schengen area operating code, the free movement area which brings together 29 countries including 25 EU member states, was adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday. She plans to “strengthen the framework provided for the reintroduction and extension of internal border controls”, particularly in the event of “serious threat to security”specified The world in February.
On the migration aspect, the European Parliament voted at the very end of its mandate, on April 10, a pact on asylum and migration. It provides for reinforced controls and a system of filtering asylum seekers at EU borders, as well as new rules promoting solidarity between States for the reception of refugees. Furthermore, an EU Asylum Agency was created in 2022, with its headquarters in Valletta (Malta). However, no common border police have been put in place, even though the EU has a European Border and Coast Guard Agency, better known as Frontex.
The establishment of a defense and security treaty: partly achieved
“A defense and security treaty must define our essential obligations, in connection with NATO and our European allies: increase in military spending, mutual defense clause made operational, European Security Council involving the United Kingdom to prepare our decisions collective.”
The offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine has put the table back on the table the idea of a Europe of defense. If no new treaty has been signed, the European Council approved, a few weeks later, a “ambitious action plan to strengthen the EU’s security and defense policy by 2030″nicknamed “strategic compass”. A device called “European Peace Facility” also reimburses member states for military equipment sent to kyiv. In 2023, military spending in the EU reached a record sum of around 270 billion euros, 30 billion more than in 2022.
The mutual defense clause, introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, provides that “If an EU country is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, other EU countries have the obligation to provide aid and assistance by all means in their power.” It was activated by France after the attacks of November 2015, but was not made more “operational” Since. Finally, there is no European Security Council which would involve the United Kingdom in preparing decisions.
A reform of competition rules: not carried out
“Sanction or ban companies in Europe that undermine our strategic interests and our essential values, such as environmental standards, data protection and fair payment of taxes; and assume, in strategic industries and our public markets, a European preference like our American or Chinese competitors do.”
The European institutions have to date not accepted any of the Head of State’s proposals on competition, even if the rules governing state subsidies were reduced in 2023 in the face of the massive investment plan of the United States aimed at countering inflation. However, MEPs definitively adopted on Tuesday a plan aimed at banning products resulting from forced labor. Finally, France is still seeking to convince its partners on the question of European preference in public calls for tenders.
A “social shield” for all Europeans: not achieved
“Europe, where social security was created, must establish for each worker, from east to west and from north to south, a social shield guaranteeing them the same remuneration in the same workplace, and a European minimum wage , adapted to each country and discussed collectively each year.”
In October 2022, the EU adopted a directive which aims to converge European minimum wages upwards, but without going as far as the creation of a European minimum wage, which would impose a minimum wage in countries which do not have one. The directive encourages member states to encourage collective bargaining.
Regulation of digital giants: partly achieved
“[L’Europe] must not only regulate the digital giants, by creating European supervision of large platforms, but also finance innovation by providing the new European Innovation Council with a budget comparable to that of the United States, to take the lead new technological breakthroughs, such as artificial intelligence.”
The European supervision of large platforms, as proposed by Emmanuel Macron, saw the light of day, in August 2023, with the entry into force of the Digital Services Act (DSA). It aims to better regulate content on the internet from around twenty platforms such as Facebook, Amazon or Apple. With DSA, users must be informed of the functioning of the algorithms used to offer them advertising content. It is also possible to easily report content considered to be “illicit”.
But the French president’s second proposal did not see the light of day. Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation program, has been allocated a total budget of €95.5 billion for the period 2021-2027. Federal funding for research and development in the United States amounted to $204.9 billion for 2023 alone, reports the French embassy in the United States.
A new pact with Africa: partly achieved
“A Europe that projects itself in the world must be turned towards Africa, with which we must establish a pact for the future.”
Heads of State and Government of the African Union and the EU met in Brussels in February 2022, for the sixth summit between the two institutions. No future pact was signed by the participants, but they “agreed on a common vision for a renewed partnership”according to Council of the EU. European leaders have promised an investment of at least 150 billion euros, a “further cooperation in the service of peace and security”Thus “a strengthened partnership in terms of migration and mobility”.
The creation of a “European Agency for the Protection of Democracies”: not carried out
“I propose that a European Agency for the Protection of Democracies be created which will provide European experts to each Member State to protect its electoral process against cyberattacks and manipulation.”
This idea did not materialize. However, the French overwhelmingly support it: according to a Viavoice survey for the Jean-Jaurès foundation in 2019, 70% of respondents were in favor of the creation of such an agency, responsible for protecting electoral processes against cyberattacks and computer hacking, and for regulating the use of personal data for electoral purposes. Aware of fears of foreign interference and manipulation, the European Commission formulated a set of proposals on the subject in December, particularly in view of the European elections in June.
The organization of a Conference on the future of the EU: carried out
“Let us set up a Conference for Europe in order to propose all the necessary changes to our political project, without taboos, not even the revision of the treaties.”
Postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Conference on the Future of the EU was launched at the beginning of 2021. It brought together 800 European citizens, drawn at random, who worked for a year on proposals for developments of the EU. Their report, containing more than 300 concrete measures, was delivered on May 9, 2022.
This panel of citizens notably suggested the establishment of transnational lists in the European elections, the end of the right of veto of the Member States in the European Council, a change of name of the institutions “to clarify more” or the reopening of discussions on a European constitution. The European Commission claims to have acted “on almost 95% of the measures (…) which fall within its competence and are in conformity with the treaties.” Buthe most discussed suggestions, which affect the functioning of institutions and require a change in the treaties, have not been implemented.