There was the Sorbonne speech, when, on September 26, 2017, Emmanuel Macron delivered his vision for “refound” a Europe that successive crises – financial, migration and Brexit – had weakened. There is now “The Strasbourg Oath”, as he himself baptized, Monday, May 9, the French president just re-elected. While speaking at the closing ceremony of the Conference on the Future of Europe which was held in the Alsatian precincts of the Community Parliament, Emmanuel Macron promised to contribute to building a “Sovereign, united, democratic and ambitious Europe”.
From a speech to an oath, crises have followed one another – the Covid-19 pandemic and now the war in Ukraine – but the Europe that Emmanuel Macron calls for has not changed. Where, five years ago, he had above all proposed all-out initiatives, from defense to the economy, taxation and education, to get it out of “the glaciation” and “give it back to the people”, on this Europe Day, he made institutional issues the heart of his speech. And drew the contours of a Europe that could be ” more efficient “, “more independent”also more inclusive with its neighbours, without it being necessary to modify the treaties.
Born from an idea of the French President, the Conference on the Future of Europe began a year ago. Eight hundred European citizens, from the four corners of the continent, were then drawn by lot to take part in the exercise, alongside elected officials and representatives of civil society. In the end, these delegates selected 325 measures to meet 49 objectives and build a more democratic and more active European Union (EU) in climate transition, health, social issues, but also taxation or foreign policy.
Going beyond “unanimous voting”
They thus propose“direct subsidies towards organic farming”of“to establish common minimum standards [aux Vingt-sept] in care »of “vote in the European elections from the age of 16”or to put an end to the rule of unanimity and give “right of initiative” in the European Parliament, which today is not authorized to propose legislation. On Monday, they submitted their report to Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and Emmanuel Macron, who chairs the EU Council until the end of June.
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