French President Emanuelle Macron during his appearance at the European Parliament. /
The French president presents himself as Merkel’s successor in the EU with a speech that urges “dialogue” with the government of Vladimir Putin
Angela Merkel’s shadow is long and the void she left in the machinery of the European Union remains, to this day, more than evident. This Wednesday, the French president, Emanuelle Macron, used his inaugural speech of the French six-monthly presidency in the EU to present himself as the new leader of the continent and, in turn, boost his campaign ahead of the French presidential elections in April. From the podium and before the plenary session of the European Parliament, Macron stressed that the Ukraine crisis is one of the main challenges facing the Twenty-seven and called for the creation of a “new security order” with NATO against Russia.
His speech was full of references to the founding values of Europe, which have been “weakened” in recent times. This situation is due, in part, to external threats, Macron said, so the EU must carry out “a strategic rearmament as a power of peace and balance.”
In the current context, with the growing tension between Russia and Ukraine, this implies maintaining “a frank dialogue” with the government of Vladimir Putin. As he pointed out, this exchange with Moscow must be “demanding in the face of destabilization, interference and manipulation.”
The message of support for Kiev is one more step on the way to definitively ending the conflict between the two regions. Together with Germany, Russia and Ukraine, France forms part of the so-called ‘Normandy Quartet’, which seeks to put an end to this crisis.
To achieve this, the French president called for “making Europe’s voice heard” and “sanctioning” those who violate the continent’s security. In this sense, he sees it necessary to work on “a new security order” shared in the EU with NATO and against Russia in the coming weeks. He pointed out, on the other hand, that a “rapid response intergovernmental force” should be created, a recurring request, which has never seen the light of day.
In its relationship with neighboring countries, the EU must “rethink” its position with the Western Balkans and “give them sincere prospects for membership”, he said. With the United Kingdom, however, Macron changed his tone and was inflexible: “We must return to the path of trust, but the British government needs to commit in good faith to the agreements reached,” he launched.
abortion and the environment
The intervention of the French president was also a strong defense of the European rule of law, “a treasure that we must protect” and that is the result of the “fight to free itself from the totalitarian yoke of the last century.” Europeans must therefore treasure Europe’s legacy, but also bring it up to date with the times.
Brexit
“The British government must commit in good faith to the agreements reached”
In this way, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU “must be more explicit” to protect issues such as the right to abortion. This proclamation is especially important due to the open opposition to abortion of the newly appointed President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. Furthermore, today abortion is still prohibited in Malta.
Environmental protection is another issue to include in the Charter, according to Macron, who spoke of the climate summit in Paris – held in 2015 –, in which Europe set “the most ambitious emission reduction targets on the planet”. Now, «it only remains to move from words to deeds. Let’s do it!” Macron urged.
He was also in favor of opening the debate on the fight against climate change and on abortion to fellow citizens. “Let’s give a new impetus to our rule of law, making Europe even stronger,” he asked.
The green and digital transition are pending tasks, but also opportunities to consolidate European economic growth. The French presidency considers joint measures such as the border carbon adjustment and mirror clauses in trade agreements to be priorities. Member States must “keep up” with the change, investing in new technologies “such as hydrogen batteries”.
The push for digitization should not, however, mean a step backwards in terms of labor rights. “We must fight to end inequalities. Solidarity is an incomparable force and we must not forget it”, he concluded.
.
#Macron #calls #security #order #Russia