Emmanuel Macron spoke this Wednesday, January 19, in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, to launch the French presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The French president held a speech of about twenty minutes. As soon as he spoke, Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the former President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, who died on January 11.
The Head of State returned to several priorities of this French presidency, including the “strengthening of European sovereignty”. He insisted during his speech on the importance of European values.
“The French presidency will be a presidency of values that make us and which, by dint of being considered as acquired, have ended up weakening in recent years,” he said. “We are the generation that discovers the precariousness of the rule of law and democratic values,” he added.
During his speech, Emmanuel Macron set himself three promises that he will defend throughout the French presidency, i.e. until June 30, 2022: “a promise of democracy (…), a promise of progress and a promise of peace. The moment we are living through, through the return of the tragedy of History and some geographical evidence, and the current turmoil we are experiencing are shaking up these three promises. Our challenge is to work to rebuild these promises,” he said.
EUROPEAN RULE OF LAW
While Europe is going through tensions, Emmanuel Macron wanted to underline his concern as well as his attachment to the rule of law.
“The rule of law is the fruit of all of our stories, the fight and the revolutions to free ourselves from totalitarianism. The rule of law is our treasure, and it is a question everywhere of reconquering the peoples who have moved away from it”. Reconvincing the peoples, such is the objective of the President of the Republic. To do this, Emmanuel Macron relies on the pride of European identity. “To be European is to feel an equal emotion in front of our treasures, the fruit of our heritage and our history, vibrate in the same way to the works of Chopin as to the texts of Pessoa. This art of being in the European world is part of our uniqueness”.
Emmanuel Macron’s promise is to “make Europe once again a cultural and educational democratic power proud of itself to take up the challenge”.
Since his election as President of the French Republic in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has posed as a leader of pro-Europeans and boasts of the progress made at 27. He takes in particular the example of the post-Covid-19 recovery plan of 750 billion euros adopted in 2020.
Fight against global warming
The Head of State intends through this speech to obtain “quick and concrete” results on several issues including that of the fight against global warming. In February, a summit for the oceans is to be held in France, according to the president.
“We will have an important summit for the oceans in February where several member countries, including the commission, will have an important strategy to present because we are a great power”, announced Emmanuel Macron.
If global warming is a priority for Emmanuel Macron, another challenge for him is the digital revolution. Indeed, the Head of State has shown his desire to “build a real single digital market to create European champions”. This moderation must allow “fair competition between players and, therefore, combat the tendency of platforms to kill innovation”, he explained.
THE RIGHT TO ABORTION AND PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
In his speech to MEPs, Emmanuel Macron also wanted the right to abortion and the protection of the environment to be included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
“We must update this charter to be more explicit on the recognition of the right to abortion or on the protection of the environment, launched the President of the Republic in Strasbourg”.
relationship with africa
“We must take a new step in the coming months, reinvent a new alliance with the continent”. These are the words of Emmanuel Macron on Africa. The Head of State believes that it is the continent where “part of our future” is at stake. He made known his desire to “rebuild the partnership with Africa”.
He also pointed out that around 700 million doses of vaccines against Covid-19 will be distributed in Africa by the end of the French presidency of the European Union.
IMMIGRATION, SECURITY AND SCHENGEN
Several sensitive and urgent subjects are on Emmanuel Macron’s table. This is particularly the case for the minimum wage, the carbon tax at the borders or the reform of the Schengen area.
Regarding security, Emmanuel Macorn hopes that Europe can provide more responses “in the face of political problems, the terrorist threat, cyber attacks and irregular migration”.
“Europe must arm itself, not out of defiance vis-à-vis other powers, but to ensure its independence in this world of violence, so as not to suffer the choice of others and to be free”, insisted the President of the Republic.
Finally, for the Schengen area, Emmanuel Macron also discussed the reform that will be brought to this area of free movement by the French presidency. “An intergovernmental rapid intervention force will be developed to protect the external borders,” he announced.
After these few announcements, Emmanuel Macron did not hide his enthusiasm and his confidence in the member countries in order to make “the European dream” possible.
“Neither the policies of yesterday or before the crisis, nor past reflexes, nor the return to nationalism, nor the dissolution of our identities will be the answers to this coming world. But our ability to invent a possible dream, to make it tangible, to make it a reality, to make it useful to our fellow citizens is the key to our success. We have the strength, we have the means. This is why I have confidence in us”, declared the Head of State to the applause of parliament.
A question-and-answer session
At the end of this speech, Emmanuel Macron devoted a long session of questions and answers with the deputies. If he exchanged with elected officials from all countries, Emmanuel Macron was particularly solicited by French speakers.
Thus François-Xavier Bellamy (Les Républicains), Manon Aubry (France insoumise), Jordan Bardella and Nicolas Bay (National Rally), and Yannick Jadot (Les Verts) addressed Emmanuel Macron.
This intervention was made without the presence of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. She tested positive for Covid-19.