France chairs the Council of the European Union: what does this mean?

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For six months, from January to July 2022, France will play the mediator. It is she who will have to seek the best compromises between the 27 to advance the issues of the moment. The last time she held this role was 13 years ago, in 2008, under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy.

Dn the 1960s, France presided over the institution every two and a half years. But in a Union of 27, when everyone has to take their turn … things go slower, obviously. The scarcity of the exercise makes it all the more important for the member country.

We often say, to put it simply, “presidency of the European Union” (PFUE). France in reality will chair the Council of the European Union, that is to say the institution which brings together the ministers and not the heads of state of the Twenty-Seven (that is the European Council, which gives political impetus and defines the priorities of the European Union).

This does not mean that it has a less important role: in their field of activity (transport, finance, justice, environment, etc.) the ministers amend the proposals made by the Commission to lead to legislative texts in connection with the Euro-deputies. They are the co-legislators of Europe. At the moment, for example, there are 250 texts under review.

The Council of the EU is also responsible for negotiating and subsequently adopting the EU budget. He designs then applies EU foreign and security policy. Also, be careful not to confuse it with the Council of Europe, which is not a European institution but an international organization comprising 47 states.

The advantage of this rotating presidency, which lasts six months, is that we can put on the agenda the subjects we want to see come to fruition in order to move them forward a little faster. Basically, you control the agenda, you give an impetus (especially when you are one of the founding countries of the EU). In the second half of 2020, Germany thus pushed to the maximum the economic recovery plan ofe 750 billion euros – which pouting was not unanimous. Another example during the Portuguese Presidency, in the first half of 2021: Lisbon defended an ambitious agenda and organized a summit on Social Europe.

“Relaunch, power, belonging” : this is the motto that France has given itself. On January 6 and 7, 2022, Emmanuel Macron will receive all the European Commissioners before speaking to the European Parliament on January 19 to unveil his roadmap.

Among its priority subjects: the harmonization of minimum wages in Europe (which means in particular convincing Sweden, which is against this idea).

But also better regulate the Gafam, the digital giants.

Advance what is called “the climate package” with a carbon border tax due to be implemented in 2023, it is a technically very complicated subject to implement, but also very complicated to negotiate, at least as much as the budget. It is the one which is the least advanced.

Or, in the area of ​​immigration, move forward on the reform of the Shengen agreements. THEa France will also monitor the implementation œimplementation of the European recovery plan and will try to make progress on the site of European autonomy in the field of defense.

We know the European convictions of the Head of State, who since his election has been the leader of pro-Europeans against nationalists and populists. He also wants to take advantage of this moment to defend European sovereignty and bring the French closer to Europe.

According to the latest barometer from the Jacques Delors Institute, among the 27, France is one of the countries where public opinion is the most eurosceptic. In order to be visible and concrete, the various ministerial councils will also be organized all over the place, in medium-sized towns such as Angers, Dijon or Grenoble. And Dmany events – almost 400, according to the All Europe site – will be organized between January and July: summits, conferences … The idea is also to impose European questions in the public debate.

Except that this French presidency will quickly find itself parasitized by the campaign for the presidential election in April (It was already the case in 1995 at the time of the Mitterrand-Chirac alternation) and the legislative elections in June. It means two things.

First, there is a risk of political instrumentalisation. The fact that this presidency is transformed into an exercise of personal communication intended to bring a possible Macron candidate to the presidential election.

This is what his opponents fear, such as the declared environmental candidate Yannick Jadot, who reproach him for not having reversed his turn, in particular with the Czech Republic which will take over in the second half of 2022. It was possible (it was necessary to validation of the 27), especially since this calendar has been set since 2016, when the order of passage of each was put back in order after Brexit and that it is set until 2030. We can also say that Macron no he did not wait for this presidency to get involved in European issues.

The second thing is that from mid-March we will enter France during the reserve period. And there it is a little more complicated: it means that Emmanuel Macron has only two and a half months to advance “the Europe file”.


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