The French president, who gave his keynote speech at Sorbonne University, plans to invite the EU countries to build a new European defense initiative.
– Europe can die.
This was stated by the French president Emmanuel Macron At the beginning of his speech on the EU in the large amphitheater of the Sorbonne University.
Macron referred to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and other big threats, such as Donald Trump to possible re-election and US isolation and to China and a trade war.
Macron called for building an independent and credible European defense. According to him, the Russian threat requires a change in the entire European defense thinking.
– I intend to invite the EU countries to build a European defense initiative in the coming months. We need to create a new common strategy, the French president said.
He proposed the deployment of French nuclear weapons to protect member states and proposed the creation of a new European military academy to train future military and civilian leaders.
Macron also called for the creation of a 5,000-strong rapid reaction force by 2025.
– Europe must know how to defend what is valuable to us. Together with allies, if they are ready to act alongside us, and if necessary also alone, Macron stated.
Favoring the European arms industry, strengthening border control
In Macron’s opinion, Europe should primarily favor European industry in its purchases of defense equipment.
– There is no defense in Europe without the defense industry. That means turning urgent support for Ukraine into a long-term effort, the president said.
Macron also called for more effective control of Europe’s external borders. He praised the EU’s recently approved asylum and immigration agreement, but called for even closer cooperation in immigration matters.
– Strong borders are our common interest. We need to create a political structure that allows decision-making on immigration, organized crime, terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking, Macron suggested.
The EU should limit the use of the Internet by children under 15 years of age
The French president appealed on several occasions for European values and humanism. He spoke about European regulation as a counterforce to the digital reality controlled by US internet giants and their algorithms, and suggested limiting the internet use of children and young people under the age of 15.
– We must protect children and prohibit racist and anti-Semitic remarks and hate speech in the digital space as well. It’s a democratic struggle, Macron appealed.
The almost two-hour speech of the French president received long applause at Sorbonne University. It was his second EU policy speech, the first one Macron gave at the Sorbonne in 2017.
The French media found the speech skillful and genuinely passionate – although also difficult to understand for those who have not closely followed the debate related to the development of Europe.
Accused populist parties of being free riders
Macron’s speech also kicked off the EU election campaign of the president’s party.
According to opinion polls, the centre-right Renaissance party is suffering a clear defeat Marine Le Pen for the extreme right-wing and EU-critical National Alliance.
Macron blamed populist parties for the slow disintegration of Europe from within.
– Nationalists no longer demand the abandonment or demolition of the common European building. They propose to live in it without common rules, investments or paying rent, Macron said.