E. Macron’s message to Europe: it is necessary to strengthen defense independence, act faster and more efficiently

As E. Macron speaks, we will constantly update the message with quotes from the French president.

The French president began his speech by emphasizing that, although Europe does not lack challenges, it has managed to overcome some of them by making historic decisions.

E. Macron named Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s existential war against Ukraine as the biggest of them. However, according to him, Europe has been able to show unity in the face of these crises.

“We have taken historic steps – for example, we concluded a financial union during the COVID-19 pandemic, we established a common fund to promote the EU economy. It was a European solution to the problem,” said E. Macron.

He thus emphasized cooperation in the field of health protection in the procurement of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

E. Macron, who was happy with the progress made by Europe, nevertheless emphasized that “the battle is not yet won.”

Urged to act faster

The French leader warned on Thursday of the great danger that lies ahead in the next decade.

“There is a huge risk that we will be weakened or even marginalized as the world is now undergoing unprecedented upheaval and accelerating great change.” Our Europe is dying. It can die, and it depends only on our choice,” said E. Macron. He warned that Europe is not immune to the risks it faces in a world where “the rules of the game have changed”.

The French leader said Europe was still too slow to respond to “global arming”.

“Europe is under siege. Global rearmament is taking place,” said E. Macron. In his opinion, Europe is still “too slow and not ambitious enough in this area”.

According to E. Macron, the only way for Europe to be safer is to support Ukraine and its victory in the war against Russia. Therefore, according to the French leader, it is necessary for Europe to support Ukraine even more actively.

He urged Europe to free itself from a “strategic minority” that has made it too dependent on Russia for energy resources and the United States for security.

He described Russia’s behavior after the invasion of Ukraine as out of control and said it was no longer clear where Moscow’s borders were.

The French president also called for a “strategic concept” for a credible European defense that would allow the continent to reduce its dependence on the United States and better counter the threat posed by Russia.

“In the coming months, I will invite all our partners to develop this European defense initiative, which must first of all be a strategic concept from which we can then develop the relevant defense capabilities,” he explained.

E. Macron added that Europe also needs its capabilities in the fields of cyber defense and cyber security. The French president emphasized that he would like to encourage the purchase of weapons on the European continent. According to him, it is necessary to introduce a rule according to which armaments would be sought primarily in Europe before turning to other allies.

“Power, prosperity, humanism”, – the French president listed the three most important principles in the creation of European sovereignty.

“To be a European is not only to live in a certain country (…), but also to defend a certain idea in which a free, rational and enlightened person is more important than anything,” E. Macron tried to inspire Europe.

The French president also emphasized that he defends Community payments from the general budget linked to the principles of the rule of law.

“We only have to strengthen these provisions, establish sanctions for serious violations. Europe is not a shop where you can choose which principles you will follow and which you will not,” added the French leader.

France’s president also called on Thursday for a review of the European Union’s trade policy to protect European interests, accusing China and the United States of no longer abiding by the rules of global trade.

“It cannot work if we are the only ones in the world who follow the trade rules drawn up 15 years ago, if the Chinese and the Americans no longer follow them by subsidizing the most important sectors,” Macron said.

VŽ recalls that Mr. Macron’s previous statements about independence from the United States angered the allies, primarily Germany, which has a more sluggish attitude towards European strategic autonomy and was particularly annoyed by the fact that Mr. Macron did not rule out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.

Although Mr. Macron is often praised for his broad vision of Europe, there is no shortage of criticism for his bold rhetoric that does not translate into concrete actions. Some experts say he prefers pompous statements to quiet diplomatic work with partners in the European Union.

Challenges await at home as well

According to local media reports, Macron’s speech also aims to strengthen his party’s position ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections, where his party is likely to lose ground to the far-right.

E. Macron is trying to present himself as the leader of all Europe, but his situation at home is much more complicated. His party faces trouble in June’s European Parliament elections. In voter polls, it lags well behind the extreme right and even risks being third behind the Socialists.

June 9 Polls in France’s European Parliament elections show Macron’s centrist coalition losing ground to the far-right National Rally. According to polls, this party should be supported by 30% of the voters, and the Socialists are also close on the heels of the president’s camp and take second place.

“There would be a real political earthquake if the president’s party and its allies come third in the European Parliament elections,” political scientist Bruno Cautres told AFP.

Valerie Hayer, a little-known politician, leads the ruling party’s electoral list in the EP elections. The leaders of the competing political forces are 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, who represents the extreme right, and Rafael Glucksmann, the candidate of the left.

Macron’s confidant, the country’s youngest prime minister, 35-year-old Gabriel Attali, whose appointment in January was seen as a bid to challenge Mr Bardella, is on the wane.

In his speech on Thursday, E. Macron sought to get personally involved in the election campaign.

The far-right National Rally has said it will demand the dissolution of parliament if Macron’s ruling Renaissance party and its allies suffer a crushing defeat in the EP election. We invite you to read more about the wave of the extreme right in Europe here.

On Thursday, E. Macron “wants to regain the initiative, avoid humiliation and try at any cost to keep the second place in the EP elections”, said B. Cautres, noting that there are few hopes that his party could overtake the “National Rally”.