Emmanuel Macron said during his greetings to the French that he wanted the year 2022 to be that of a “ European turning point », Clearly showing his ambition to make the French presidency of the EU, which began on January 1, an opportunity to achieve this. An ambitious bet as France enters a presidential election year.
Europe is a chance for France. Emmanuel Macron said it again in his speech on December 31, declaring: ” Notre Europe is indeed the only way by which France will be stronger in the face of the upheavals of the world. “.
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The stake for the Head of State is therefore to ensure that the French presidency of the European Union helps him to convince the French. Because in the context of his probable presidential candidacy, there is no doubt that Emmanuel Macron presents himself as the defender of Europe and makes it a distinctive sign in the face of his opponents.
Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Sacré-Coeur, Louvre, Quai d’Orsay, Invalides, Opéra Garnier, Senate …
All these Parisian places are lit in #blue #Europe to mark the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. #Reuters pic.twitter.com/d71bJgKWXH– Antony Paone (@PaoneAntony) January 1, 2022
Opponents from the far-right Marine Le Pen or Éric Zemmour, and from the right with Valérie Pécresse, who have well sensed the danger of seeing the president develop his image as a European leader in order to gain an electoral advantage.
From the first day of the French presidency, they attacked the symbolic decision of Emmanuel Macron to install the only European flag under the Arc de Triomphe, putting him on trial for lack of patriotism, and urging him to remove.
A sign of the sensitivity of the political debate on identity and sovereignty, coupled with an indicator of the national challenges of the French presidency of the EU.
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