Macron’s European plea – DW – 04/25/2024

French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned the word “paradigm” almost 20 times in his speech this Thursday (April 25, 2024), in which he advocated greater European integration.

“We have a date with history: Europe could die,” Macron warned before an audience of hundreds in the amphitheater of Paris’ Sorbonne, home to one of Europe’s oldest universities.

The President advocated greater European integration, a new common commercial industry, and an adequate European defense strategy, which might even have its own anti-missile shield.

He said, “It is important that Russia does not win the war in Ukraine: European security is at stake.”

Macron said, “Europe can only be strong if it is prosperous (…). And we have to stop being naive and better protect our industries.”

The President advocated a “European priority” system in five areas of excellence: artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space technology, biotechnology and new energy.

How will other countries react?

For Sophie Pornschlegel, Director of Studies at think tank

Europe Brussels-based Jacques Delors Macron has revisited a theme he launched seven years ago in his first speech on Europe at the Sorbonne, in which he called for greater “European sovereignty.”

“Macron has a good sense of what is relevant in politics,” says Porschlegel. He understands how Europe works and he is right when he says that more cooperation and integration is needed: it is in Europe’s interests. The only way to protect.” It is good that one of the major European leaders has taken such a pro-European stance. “It will be interesting to see how other EU members respond, whether they will adopt some of his ideas,” he says.

The Elysee Palace underlined in a recent press conference that, in fact, more European sovereignty has been achieved since 2017. “Under France’s initiative, the EU has united in support of Ukraine, we have developed joint industrial and technological policies and we have strengthened our approach on free trade agreements to better protect European industries,” a spokesman said. Have changed.” “It is normal for France to contribute to the EU’s next strategic agenda,” he said.

Pornschlegel agrees to some extent. “Some of his 2017 proposals were not fulfilled – such as a budget for the eurozone and much stronger fiscal cooperation – but, at least, Macron has new ideas for Europe, unlike other countries like Germany, which tend to block things. ,” says the expert.

This is not just a European speech

Benjamin Morel, a political scientist and professor of public law at Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, suspects that Macron spoke only in anticipation of a new strategic agenda.

“Europe is one of Macron’s central themes: his aim is to boost his party’s current dismal prospects ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June,” he told DW. Current polls estimate that Valérie Heyer, the candidate of President Macron’s Renaissance Party, will get about 16 percent of the vote, while Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally (RN) will get about 30 percent. In addition, socialist-centrist candidate Raphael Glucksmann is in favor of Heyer.

“A bad result in the European elections would turn his mandate into a weakened presidency and destroy his remaining authority,” Morel insists. According to the latest polls, less than a third of French voters currently have a favorable opinion of President Macron. “I suspect that Macron’s speech today has energized French voters,” Morel says.

Catherine Fieschi, visiting professor at the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence and author of the book “Populocracy,” agrees with this view. According to Fieschi, today’s speech did not seem like a campaign event. “He has taken stock of what has been done in Europe and said we have to do much better, but he has not addressed French voters.”

Le Pen’s victory would have devastating consequences

Analysts no longer rule out the possibility of a far-right victory in the 2027 French presidential elections, and some have even accused President Macron of “normalizing” Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party (RN) by adopting certain approaches That formation. An example of this is recent French legislation tightening immigration rules.

According to Pornschlegel, a victory for RN leader Marine Le Pen would have disastrous consequences for Europe. “This would be a definite blow to the so-called Franco-German engine, cooperation between France and Germany, which is vital for the EU going forward,” he warned.

(MS/ERS)