French President Emmanuel Macron (Photo: Reuters).
French President Macron on April 25 called for building a stronger, more unified European defense system as he outlined his vision of a more assertive European Union on the international stage.
In a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, he warned: “There is a risk that our Europe could wither away. We are not prepared to face the risks.”
In a nearly two-hour speech, he warned that military, economic and other pressures could weaken and fragment the 27-member European union.
He said Russia cannot be allowed to win in Ukraine. He also called for increased European cybersecurity capabilities, closer defense ties with Britain post-Brexit and the establishment of a European academy to train senior military personnel.
He said Europeans should prioritize purchasing the continent’s military equipment in an effort to further increase investment in defense production capacity.
“We must produce more, we must produce faster and we must produce as Europeans,” Mr Macron said.
The speech received positive feedback from Germany, a key member of the EU. German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz stated: “France and Germany want Europe to be strong. Mr. Macron’s speech contains good ideas about how we can achieve this.”
Mr. Macron has long called for Europe to have “strategic autonomy” in order to become less dependent on the US.
Europe “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States and that it also knows how to communicate with all other regions of the world,” Mr. Macron said.
However, according to Reutersmany EU officials believe that currently the continent has no credible alternative to the US security umbrella.
Mr. Macron said that Europe is also at risk of falling behind economically when global free trade rules are being challenged by major competitors. The European Central Bank should not only target inflation, he said, but also pay attention to growth and climate.
Mr. Macron said the EU should agree to waive its own competition rules so it can support companies in fields such as AI and green energy when the US and China also have support programs for them. businesses of this country.
He added Europe needs less fragmented markets for energy, telecommunications and financial services, while also reducing bureaucracy.
The French leader hopes his speech will have a similar impact to the Sorbonne speech he gave seven years ago, heralding some important EU policy changes.
Since then, much has changed in the world, with geopolitical challenges including the war in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the US-China rivalry.
Mr. Macron’s April 25 speech is considered France’s contribution to the EU’s strategic agenda for the next 5 years.
