On the first day of a state visit to Germany, Emmanuel Macron recalled, Sunday May 26, the importance of voting in the European elections to defend democracy, which, according to him, has not “never had so many enemies inside and outside”.
Immersed as soon as he got off the plane into the bath of Democracy Day, organized to celebrate the 75e anniversary of the German Constitution, the French president set the tone for his three-day visit, at the invitation of his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The European elections, in less than two weeks, and the affirmation of the importance of the Franco-German relationship in moving the European Union (EU) forward are at the heart of the journey which will take him to several regions of the country.
“I think we are experiencing a moment in our Europe that is existential, because I really believe that our Europe can die”launched Mr. Macron, repeating words spoken during his speech at the Sorbonne on April 25, in which he called on the Twenty-Seven for a new start.
During a first exchange with Mr. Steinmeier, the head of state expressed concern about“a form of fascination with authoritarianism that arises in our own democracies”. The French president’s target? “The rise of the far right and the far right in Europe”while “nothing of their speech holds up”.
If the far right had been in power for the last five years, he said it would have “increased the difficult situations we experienced”. “ Impoverishment, division, support from Russia, abandonment of Ukraine and less democracy”, this is what the outcome would have been, he assured, during a press conference alongside his German counterpart.
Determined to “engage in the European debate, even as president, to unmask the ideas of the National Rally”Mr. Macron called for democracy ” a fight “ and to vote in the European elections on June 9.
“Building a path together”
In a Germany faced with the rise of the nationalist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, Mr. Steinmeier pleaded for a “alliance of democrats in Europe”.
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“We feel that we cannot rest on our achievements, but that we must defend what is dear to us. The Germans and the French in particular know that freedom, peace and democracy did not fall from the sky.he said.
Emmanuel Macron’s state visit – the highest in protocol – is the first by a French president to his overseas neighbor since that of Jacques Chirac in 2000. It promises to be imbued with symbols of unity and friendship, as the two countries try to overcome heavy differences, from the war in Ukraine to trade rivalries with China.
“There is sufficient evidence that we were able to agree despite different starting points. We end up getting along.”Mr. Steinmeier put things into perspective on Sunday. “We are not the same, but we constantly have this discussion” allowing Paris and Berlin to “build a path together”welcomed Mr. Macron, ensuring that the Franco-German relationship “is necessary for Europe to move forward”.
Initially scheduled for last year, the French president’s state visit had to be postponed due to urban riots in France. Ironically, Mr. Macron returned from a whirlwind trip to New Caledonia, which was in turn shaken by violent riots.
The reunion with Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not take place until Tuesday, although the latter is expected to make an appearance at the state dinner, just like former Chancellor Angela Merkel.
If the French president and the head of the German government agree on the need to relaunch Europe in the face of competition from the United States and China, they remain in disagreement on the place of nuclear power, the budgetary strategy, the agreements trade or the degree of protectionism.