Macron in Strasbourg: grand ambitions, but also concrete

The swollen tongue was not completely absent. When Emmanuel Macron addresses the European Parliament on Wednesday morning, it is about “the return of the tragedy in history”, about “a shared emotion among our European treasures” and the “elusive proof of peace”. But compared to the great Europe speeches he gave earlier, the French president in Strasbourg this time was remarkably subdued and actually concrete.

The ambitions for the French presidency of the EU (the next six months) that Macron kicked off are great, but instead of prospects, the president was able to point out very concrete proposals that France wants to realize in the coming months. It is common for a presiding country to give its own twist to the European agenda. But the fact that France is now succeeding in doing so illustrates how much legislation is in the EU pipeline that fits perfectly with the French agenda. Europe has recently become more ‘French’ after Brexit and in a more hostile geopolitical environment, and this six months Macron could reap the benefits.

On Wednesday, for example, he was able to refer to new EU legislation that restricts large American tech companies and which France would like to have completed in March. Or to the ‘CO2 border levy’, which is part of the European climate program but is now being given an extra push by France. Or the plan to anchor and harmonize the minimum wage more strongly in a European context.

They are all existing European plans, but at the same time they fit perfectly with the ‘more autonomous’, more powerful and at the same time more social EU that Macron envisions.

Election Campaign

The French president is also in a hurry. If he succeeds in finalizing the proposals in March, he can still profit considerably in his own country during his election campaign. The first ballot box will be held in April. This high pressure is already causing murmuring among MEPs and diplomats in Brussels. Those involved fear that laws will be pushed through purely for PR purposes and that much remains unclear about the precise details and elaboration.

The Ukraine crisis and relations with Russia saved Macron until last. Macron, quite calmly, spoke up for dialogue, suggesting that there is still room for weeks to deliberate on a common European position. At the same time, he left no doubt that the agreements made between Russia and the West thirty years ago still apply. Anyone who violates these agreements must be punished effectively.

Macron has been calling for dialogue with Russia for years. History and geography connect the EU and Russia. Our continent is indivisible. We need that dialogue.”

After the Fall of the Wall, the West made agreements with Russia about the division of power within Europe and the principles that go with it: borders are inviolable, countries are sovereign and spheres of influence no longer exist. Europe must now defend those principles: anyone who violates these principles can count on sanctions.

In the coming weeks, Europe should come forward with proposals for a new order of security and stability. The French president wants to work out these proposals first with other European countries, then discuss them within NATO and then enter into negotiations with Russia.

Also read: Macron uses EU presidency as an electoral trump card