Macron: Europe is stillborn – Common defense industry is needed

The alarm bell for the future of Europe was sounded by the French president in his important speech at the Sorbonne ahead of the European elections. The French extreme right is ahead.

In the midst of two hot wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the heated phase of the pre-election campaign for the elections for new MEPs next June begins in many European countries. The main feature is the fear of the rise of far-right parties which is expected to overturn the balance of power in the European Parliament with all that this may entail. In France, President Macron resorted to the tried-and-true recipe to outline his vision for Europe, from the aula of the Sorbonne. He was in the same position 7 years ago, politically indestructible, only a few months in the presidency and Angela Merkel in the chancellorship. Today, Olaf Solz is in her place, and German-French relations, which are considered the engine of united Europe, have collapsed.

There is a danger that Europe will be left behind

In this light, Macron launched this morning the heated phase of the election campaign by sending messages to the French and Europeans to realize that Europe is “deadly” and in a “state of encirclement”. “It depends entirely on our choices but those choices must be made now because over the next decade, … there is a huge risk that we will be weakened or even relegated,” he told 500 guests, including ambassadors from 26 other countries. of EU member states, students, researchers and the government as a whole. The French president spoke of a Europe “in a state of encirclement” against major regional powers and expressed the view that the values ​​of European “liberal democracy” are “increasingly criticized” and “challenged”. Making special reference to the concepts of “sovereignty and borders” he stressed: “There is no sovereignty without the protection and recognition of external borders”.

“The danger is that Europe will be left behind and we are already beginning to see this despite our efforts,” he warned, calling for a “strong Europe” that demands respect, ensures its security and regains “its strategic autonomy.” In a geopolitical context that has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, Macron called on the EU to further strengthen its defense within the framework of NATO, citing as an example the possibility of the EU acquiring an anti-missile shield. Taking a quick stock of some past successes, Emmanuel Macron argued that “despite the current unprecedented combination of crises, Europe has rarely made so much progress in at least two areas, unity and sovereignty.

Let the ECB also focus on development

In the field of trade, the French president called for a “revision” of European trade policy, “defending our interests” against Chinese and American trade practices. “It cannot work if we are the only ones in the world who respect the trade rules as they were written 15 years ago, if the Chinese and the Americans no longer respect them by subsidizing critical sectors,” he said. “Healthy competition must be ensured and European products based on technologies in the EU should be favored. The same standards and rules must be applied to agriculture and the food industry to protect farmers.” On defense, Macron called for a European defense strategy with a common defense industry and an acceleration of EU-funded armaments to counter the Russian threat. According to the French president, Europe should develop a “new model of reliable security and defense”, which means cooperation in the political sector, but also in the military industry.

Referring to the challenges of the future, such as tackling climate change or artificial intelligence, Macron insisted on strengthening research and investment. private capital within the EU”. For the European Central Bank, the French president argued that in the future it should not focus its monetary policy only on fighting inflation. “The ECB should at least have growth as a target. Six weeks before the polls open, the far-right party Rassemblement National, led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardela, may achieve its biggest electoral success. According to a poll in Opinionway’s recently published June 9 European elections, the presidential majority list has 19%, but maintains a clear lead over the Socialist list (12%).

Source: Deutsche Welle