French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe not to rely on the US for security – Photo: REUTERS
In a speech on April 25 in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron outlined his vision of a European Union (EU) that is more assertive on the global stage, not a vassal of the United States.
“There is a risk that our Europe could die. We are not equipped to face the risk,” Reuters news agency quoted the French leader as warning.
He said that military and economic pressures could weaken and divide the EU. “In the next decade… the risk of (Europe) being weakened or even relegated is huge,” he said.
Mr. Macron affirmed that Europe must not let Russia win in Ukraine and called for closer relations with Britain, establishing a European academy to train high-level military personnel, and strengthening Europe’s cybersecurity capacity.
“There is no defense without the defense industry… we have had decades of underinvestment,” he said, saying Europe should prioritize purchasing the bloc’s military equipment.
“We must produce more, we must produce faster and we must produce as Europeans,” he said.
According to Mr. Macron, Europe “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States and that it also knows how to talk to all other regions of the world.”
The French leader has long called for Europe to have “strategic autonomy” and be less dependent on the US. However, many EU officials believe that there is currently no reliable alternative to the US military umbrella.
Some even suspect that Mr. Macron is promoting French industrial interests.
Not only security, Mr. Macron worries that Europe is also at risk of falling behind economically in the context of global free trade rules being challenged by large economies such as the US and China.
According to him, Europe should aim to be a global leader in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space, biotechnology and renewable energy. Specifically, the EU should agree to waive competition rules to support companies in fields such as AI and green energy in the face of “excessive subsidies” from the US and China.
Mr. Macron’s advisers see France’s speech as a contribution to the EU’s strategic agenda for the next five years. The agenda will be decided after the upcoming European elections.
