French President Emmanuel Macron called on member states and urged them to unite and adopt a common position on climate change, digital transformation and security. The comments were made on Wednesday in Strasbourg, wherein Macron kicked off the French presidency of the European Union (EU).
Macron said that climate change will be Europe’s foremost challenge and praised the continent for recognising climate urgency and setting a target for becoming carbon neutral by 2050. During a speech to the members of the European Parliament, Macron said, “We have to move from words to deeds, transforming our industries, investing in new technologies.”
Furthermore, he urged EU lawmakers to adopt a “carbon adjustment mechanism at the border, mirror clauses in trade agreements and to implement the first law in the world banning imports that have contributed to deforestation.” He also proposed adding a clause regarding the protection of the environment to the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and the right to abortion into the legally-binding text. Additionally, addressing French voters’ concerns, Macron pressed the bloc to install a decent minimum salary across the group and introduce measures to reduce inequalities and discrimination.
Addressing digital revolution as the second challenge, Macron called on the member states to build a single digital market to allow the creation and growth of European digital champions. He said he wants to make a Europe that regulates digital players, protects the citizens’ rights, freedoms and private lives, and fights hate speech and divisions.
Calling security to be the continent’s third challenge, Macron implored Europe to shore up its defences, not out of defiance of other world powers, but to guarantee its independence. “When it comes to defence, we can’t just be content with responding to international crises,” Macron said, adding, “Our Europe today is confronted with escalating tensions, in particular in our neighbourhood, with a disruption of the world, with a return to the tragedy of war.”
Additionally, the French President urged dialogue with Russia and member states to put forth their own demands and be in a position to enforce them. He reiterated the EU’s position grants neighbouring countries the autonomy to form alliances of their choice and rejected foreign interference. The EU and Ukraine were excluded from talks earlier this month between Moscow and Washington on Europe’s security and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
While addressing the lawmakers, Macron also mentioned his aim to reform the Schengen area during Paris’ six months of the EU presidency to counter irregular migration. “We need to protect our external borders with an intergovernmental rapid intervention force and by building partnerships with countries of origin and transit to fight smuggling networks and make our return policy effective,” Macron said.
While talking about France’s EU Presidency, Macron said the country would promote values, including democracy, solidarity and respect for the rule of law. Apart from this, Macron said that France also aims to relaunch the EU’s partnership with the African countries and plans to host an EU-African Union summit next month.
La fin de l'État de droit, c'est le règne de l'arbitraire. La fin de l'État de droit, c'est le retour aux régimes autoritaires. pic.twitter.com/O1uF2987ET
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 19, 2022
Macron’s comments on rule of law and human rights attracted criticism, with Yannick Jadot, a French presidential candidate from the Green Party, saying, “You have said Europe is a project of peace, fundamental freedoms, human rights and democracy. So why were you celebrating the agreement with China a year ago, when the Chinese regime was perpetuating and is continuing to perpetuate repression against the Uyghurs?”
Unsurprisingly, not everyone’s happy with Macron’s EU agenda. Yannick Jadot, French Greens’ presidential candidate & MEP, says Macron would prefer to procrastinate rather than to take climate action. He compares Macron with the president played by Meryl Streep in "Don’t look up."
— Alexandra von Nahmen (@AlexandravonNah) January 19, 2022
Likewise, far-left lawmaker of the Rebel France party Manon Aubry also condemned Macron’s actions, saying, “The French presidency (of the EU) should not be an electoral stepping stone.”
Moreover, other French presidential candidates also denounced Macron for using the Paris’ EU Presidency to campaign for his reelection. Macron is yet to officially declare his candidacy for the French presidential elections scheduled for April 10 this year.