In a lengthy speech, the Head of State listed numerous proposals for the future of the European Union, which he considers to be at a “tipping point” moment.
He came to speak “accomplishments” and what remains to be done. Emmanuel Macron outlined his priorities for the future of the European Union (EU) for almost two hours on Thursday April 25 at the Sorbonne. Seven years after a first speech in the same place, the President of the Republic wanted “note achievements” remembering that “L’future of France is inseparable” from that of the continent.
While Europe is “at a tipping point” and that she is “mortal”, the head of state listed a set of proposals, ranging from defense to culture, including the economy. Should we see this as the arrival of the Head of State in the European campaign? The Elysée assures us that no. If Emmanuel Macron tried not to speak directly about the elections of June 9, he also responded to the attacks of the far right against the EU. Franceinfo summarizes what to remember from this speech.
Recognition of a Europe “which has rarely advanced so much”
Emmanuel Macron looked back on the European progress of the last five years. Faced with “unprecedented crises”like Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the Head of State welcomed a Europe “who has rarely advanced so much” through steps “historical”. He particularly welcomed the fact that the concept of sovereignty European Union be discussed by the Twenty-Seven. The president returned to the adoption of the European recovery plan, the joint purchase of vaccines, but also to the Green Deal and the future opening of the EU to new states, notably Ukraine and Moldova, “who are intended to join the EU”.
A call to act in the face of “a deadly Europe”
The president ruled “that over the next decade, the risk is immense of being weakened or relegated”. Emmanuel Macron called on the French and Europeans to “be lucid about the fact that our Europe, today, is mortal”, emphasizing that his destiny depended “only of our choices”. In a moment of “rocker”he issues a warning about the work to be done regarding the digital and ecological transitions, as well as the risk of war on the continent.
The desire to strengthen European defense
The president detailed the risks facing Europe, citing the war in Ukraine and Russia “who no longer wants to tell us what their limit is”. Calling for a Europe “powerful”, Emmanuel Macron called for its defense to be further strengthened within NATO, mentioning in passing the possibility of it equipping itself with an anti-missile shield.
He announced that he was going to invite Europeans to build a “strategic concept” of “credible European defense”. He also urged Europe to strengthen its defense industry and pleaded for a “European loan” for the purchase of equipment, a subject of tension with Berlin.
A call to “regain control of our borders” and “assume it”
Emmanuel Macron called on the EU to “regain mastery of [ses] borders”after having mentioned the adoption of Pact on Migration and Asylum by the European Parliament a few weeks ago. “If we want to resist this change of rules, this escalation of violence, this disinhibition of capacities on our continent and beyond, we must adapt in terms of strategic concepts, means, and we must regain control of our borders fully, entirely and assume it”, did he declare.
He spoke of the creation of a “political structure” which would allow us to take, between “countries that share it”, “decisions” on “the subjects of immigration, the fight against organized crime, terrorism, the fight against drug trafficking or cybercrime”.
The desire to “simplify the rules” of the EU
Emmanuel Macron regretted that the EU, built on “an open economy”, either “out of step with the recomposition of the world”. “We regulate too much, we invest little, we are too open and we do not defend our interests”he said, while refusing to call into question the interest of free trade treaties.
To revive growth and “the productivity”the president proposed simplifying EU rules, while stressing that “the single market” was in himself “an act of simplification”. “In the next mandate we will have to go through several waves of simplification, without taking anything away from our ambitions”, he insisted. The French government also presented measures this week to work towards this simplification.
The proposal for a major investment plan
Emmanuel Macron pleaded for integration into the missions of the European Central Bank (ECB) “at least a growth objective, or even a decarbonization objective”. “We cannot have a monetary policy whose only objective is an inflation target, moreover in an economic environment where decarbonization is a factor in increasing prices”he explained.
The head of state also called for a “new shock of joint investments, a major budgetary investment plan” for defense, artificial intelligence, decarbonization. He explained that this “investment wall” was estimated “between 650 and 1 000 billion euros per year”. A necessary effort in the face, in particular, of massive subsidies from the United States and China. He therefore proposed to include in the community treaties “European preference” In “defense and space”.
The need to strengthen European democracy
Emmanuel Macron defended a “humanism” in the face of attacks against “liberal democracy”, “including in Europe”. He called for strengthening the conditions of access to European aid in the event of non-compliance with the rule of law, as is the case for Hungary. To give “more vigor demos [peuple] European”he reiterated his proposal to develop transnational European lists during the elections.
The Head of State also reiterated his commitment to the end of unanimous decision-making at the European Council. “We cannot have bodies that decide more and more things, with participation remaining at the 1979 level”, he judged. To strengthen ties between EU citizens, he proposed making the Franco-German channel Arte “the platform for all Europeans” and to connect all of Europe by train, “such a cultural connection project”.
A plea for a “Europe of digital majority at 15”
After warning about the risk of screens and an uncontrolled internet, Emmanuel Macron called for the digital majority in the EU to be established at 15 years. “Before 15 years, there must be parental control over access to this digital space”did he declare. “Because it is an access, if we do not control its contents, which is the fruit of all the risks and distortions of mind, which justify all the hatred”added the president.
The inclusion of abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
On the social aspect, Emmanuel Macron also said he wanted “include abortion in the charter of fundamental rights” of the EU. “Equality between women and men within the humanist project, what makes Europe“, he underlined, while the European Parliament adopted on Tuesday the first European legislation to combat violence against women, reports Euractiv.
A tackle to nationalists who “pocket” without “paying”
The head of state sent a dig to the far right, in one of the rare moments when he addressed the next European elections. He accused the nationalists of wanting to stay in “the building” European without “pay the rent” nor respect the “co-ownership rules”.
“All the nationalisms across Europe no longer dare to say that they are going to leave the euro and Europe. But they have accustomed us all to a discourse which is ‘yes but’, which is to say : ‘I’m pocketing everything that Europe has done, but I’ll do it by not respecting the rules'”underlined the president. “The risk is that everyone else is becoming timid in saying: ‘The nationalists, the anti-Europeans are very strong everywhere'” while the response to fears is “in boldness”he estimated.