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. “The priority is to strengthen control of Europe’s borders”, analyzed on franceinfo Patrick Martin-Genier, teacher at Sciences Po and Inalco, specialist in Europe. According to him, “The task of Emmanuel Macron and the various ministers will be to find a consensus to try to find the means to better protect the external borders”.
franceinfo: What will France’s role be during the six months of its presidency?
Patrick Martin-Genier: We must first start by defining what this presidency will not be. There is a permanent president of the European Council of Heads of State and Government. It is the Belgian Charles Michel. Nor will it be the head of European diplomacy who is headed by Josep Borrel, who is a Spaniard. More specifically, it will be a question of chairing the specialized bodies that are the councils of ministers. Emmanuel Macron and his ministers will attend the advice of specialized ministers, that is to say the environment, the economy, and work. It is an important body because it participates in the legislative system. It is about voting the regulations, the European directives which are very important. And on this point, the President of the Republic can say what his priorities are. He spoke yesterday of full engagement. He has priorities for Europe. And it is within this body that he intends to push his ideas for Europe.
How do these specialized ministerial councils work?
No one knows what this council of ministers is. Certainly, it is French ministers who will animate it. But it is not a council of ministers as it is usually understood in France. In fact, they participate in the legislative system. The Council of Ministers, at European Union level, votes on directives with the European Parliament. So, in a way, we decide in France. But these are proposals for directives which are voted on by the Council of Ministers. We could compare this Council of Ministers of the European Union to a sort of upper house of states, a sort of Senate. This is the image that we can retain of this Council of Ministers which votes by qualified majority on texts, proposals for directives, regulations, on agriculture, on the environment, even on the policy of asylum, on all the legislative guidelines proposed by the Commission and the European Council of Heads of State and Government.
What are the issues on which France can move things forward quickly?
Emmanuel Macron did not mention the notion of sovereignty yesterday. However, the German Chancellor said it yesterday during his vows. The priority, Emmanuel Macron had said during his press conference on December 9 at the Elysee Palace, is to strengthen European border control. The issue of immigration is a very important issue and therefore he wants to strengthen these means to fight against illegal immigration. Is there a consensus? In any case, there is a will to advance border protection regardless of methods. We saw this clearly with Belarus’ hybrid war against Poland and the European Union. Yes, there is a real desire today to strengthen border control. There is talk of reinforcing the staff of the material and financial resources of Frontex, the European coastguard agency. Asylum policy, on the other hand, is much more contested. There are many more divisions at this level. Several European countries have always refused to accept a quota of migrants and refugees. And there, on the migration pact, on the asylum pact, there are many divisions. The task of Emmanuel Macron and the various ministers will indeed be to find a consensus to try to find the means to better protect the external borders, and on the asylum policy of the European Union.