Emmanuel Macron was this Wednesday in front of the Parliament of Strasbourg to announce the priorities of the French presidency of the Council of the EU and to give his vision of Europe, before engaging in a debate with MEPs.
As expected, the French presidential campaign has caught up with Emmanuel Macron this Wednesday in the European Parliament. The debate which followed the Head of State’s speech in the hemicycle to mark the start of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union quickly turned into a contest with the French MEPs present, who attacked the French president.
MEP Yannick Jadot placed the first banner, reports our special correspondent in Strasbourg, Anthony Latier. ” You will go down in history, Mr. President of the Republic, as the president of climate inaction. Because deep down, you are a climato-accommodator. You prefer to sign armistices with the lobbies rather than wage war against climate change “, denounced the candidate of the Greens for the French presidential election next April.
Heckled, accused of holding a meeting, Yannick Jadot received a call to order from several MEPs, including Stéphane Séjourné, support of Emmanuel Macron: “ What a shame to transform this hemicycle into the National Assembly ».
The importance of compromise
But no matter, the French oppositions assume this ” socket ” temporary of the European hemicycle, considering that Emmanuel Macron, by not asking for the postponement of the French presidency of the EU, exposed himself to politicizing it in the middle of the campaign. The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, then attacked the head of state in turn. On its European, but especially national balance sheet. “ While France needs to shine again to express its power, you have extinguished its light. For France, but also for Europe, it is vital that your mandate remains unique “, he launched.
The French President then responded point by point and recalled the need to make compromises to move Europe forward. ” I am surprised that anyone is criticized for signing texts on social, environmental and energy issues with countries like Poland and Hungary. This is the very way our Europe works. Otherwise you block Europe at all times ».
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Shortly before, Emmanuel Macron had warned in his speech against attacks on the rule of law and underlined the need to ” everywhere reconquer the peoples who have moved away from it “. Integration of the right to abortion and environmental protection in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, but also ” new security order » with NATO against Russia, reform of the Schengen area, « numerical revolution “: the French president unfolded his priorities for a Europe having “ the means to decide for itself its future “.