At the end of a European Council in Brussels, where the Twenty-Seven once again discussed the best strategy to increase aid to Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, Emmanuel Macron spoke to the journalists to respond to the hot topics of the moment. From Ceta to the conflict in Gaza, from the war in Ukraine to the deterioration of public finances, a look back at the main subjects raised by the Head of State this Friday March 22.
Ceta is a “very good agreement” for French agriculture
While the Senate rejected this Thursday the project to ratify Ceta, a free trade treaty between the European Union and Canada, the French president declared that it was “a very good agreement” for “key categories ” of French agriculture.
Citing the benefits of the agreement for the French “milk”, “cheese” or “wine” sectors, the Head of State called not to “put all free trade agreements in the same bag”. -exchange. “It’s demagoguery,” he again denounced, emphasizing that “people who are fighting it today with their hands on their hearts are those who signed it,” in reference to the socialist elected officials who voted against the plan to ratify the treaty, which was concluded during the presidency of François Hollande.
The “indignity” of Russian officials who attack France
Emmanuel Macron denounced the “indignity” of recent virulent remarks by Russian leaders against France, and in particular the vice-president of the Duma Pyotr Tolstoy, seeing it as a clear sign of “nervousness”.
“I think that their indignity is enough not to comment on them,” judged the French president, confiding his “astonishment at such nervousness and such a lack of nerve among Russian officials”. Piotr Tolstoy, interviewed by BFMTV, notably promised death to any French soldier coming to Ukrainian soil, or attacked the homosexuality of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
“The unity of the Twenty-Seven” on support for Ukraine
Emmanuel Macron underlined “the message of unity and determination” that the European Union wants to convey regarding support for Ukraine, “as long as it takes, and as intensely as necessary”.
“There is unity among the Twenty-Seven and a clear determination to support Ukraine on all levels over the long term, contrary to everything that has been said about so-called European fatigue,” assured the president. French. “On the contrary, more than ever, we have shown an awareness of what this war means for Europe. It is for us a question of security. It is obviously the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine which is at stake first and foremost. But also the security of all Europeans and our long-term strategic autonomy,” he added.
Soon a French resolution at the UN for a ceasefire in Gaza?
The head of state expressed his desire to find “an agreement” at the UN Security Council on the basis of a French text, after the veto of Russia and China to an American resolution emphasizing the “need ” of an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza.
“We have a draft resolution that we are resubmitting and that we are working with several partners,” declared Emmanuel Macron. “I think that this project, if it is, as we have started to do, worked with several regional partners, in particular from the Arab world, can lift the vetoes which were expressed on the American proposal,” continued Emmanuel Macron , citing Jordan and the United Arab Emirates as partners, believing that the diplomatic work carried out with these countries could help “convince China and Russia not to veto”.
“Complete” the budgetary effort in the face of the public deficit
Emmanuel Macron affirmed that the government would have to “complete” the budgetary effort in the face of the “deterioration of public finances”, while suggesting that new savings should concern social spending or local authorities rather than the budget of the State.
“The Prime Minister is totally aware, with his government, of the situation and took it head on from the start” with “first choices” to “reduce spending” by ten billion euros this year , declared the Head of State, adding that “it will be necessary to qualify the magnitude of the adjustment that must be made and it will then be necessary to complete it in all useful actions of public spending”.
What suggests a new turn of the budgetary screw this year? “We must see the magnitude, the reason for this slippage and see behind where it comes from and therefore who contributes to it,” replied Emmanuel Macron. “Public spending is not just state spending,” he added, targeting local authorities and social spending such as unemployment insurance, without naming them, about which he has already said in front of his troops that they should contribute to the effort.