Freedom, protection and progress. These are the major axes of a "European Renaissance" that French President Emmanuel Macron is calling for to counter the nationalist withdrawal that he calls "rejection without an alternative" and to avoid falling into the trap of the status quo, in an article translated into 22 languages and published simultaneously in the 28 Member States on Tuesday 5 March.
Without reproducing the staging deployed during the Sorbonne speech in September 2017 (see EUROPE 11870), Mr Macron retains some key messages such as the importance for Europe to protect its citizens.
"No community creates a sense of belonging if it does not have boundaries that it protects", he says.
On the question of borders, the French President advocates "a complete overhaul of the Schengen area" regarding the free movement of people. Only States that assume certain obligations, such as border control, and show solidarity by applying an identical asylum policy with the same rules for receiving refugees and refusing to grant protection should be members. As such, a "European Council of Internal Security" could be set up.
In the field of defence, the French Head of State wants to give a clear direction to the European progress already achieved via a "treaty", in liaison with NATO and involving the United Kingdom in a "European Security Council".
Another aspect of protection, according to Mr Macron: "Europe, where social security has been created, must establish for each worker, from East to West and from North to South, a social shield guaranteeing him the same remuneration at the same workplace and a European minimum wage, adapted to each country and discussed each year."
Without explicitly mentioning the issue of European sovereignty, the French President is of the opinion that only Europe has the critical mass to influence at the global level on how to face certain collective challenges.
On the "ecological battle", according to Mr Macron, the European Union must promote carbon neutrality by 2050 and a halving of pesticide use by 2025. "All our institutions must have climate as their mandate", he insists, launching the idea of a "European Climate Bank" to finance the ecological transition.
The revision of the Treaties is not taboo. Finally, Mr Macron suggested that a "Conference for Europe" be set up by the end of 2019 in order to propose all the necessary changes to the European integration project, "without taboos, not even on the revision of the treaties". This conference would be responsible for defining a roadmap for the European Union that translates into concrete actions the priorities agreed at the Twenty-seven, if not with those countries that so wish.
There were many reactions in the Macronian forum that the cultural "rEUnaissance", advocated by the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Luca Jahier, as early as April 2018 (see EUROPE 12004), was able to inspire.
On Mr Macron's idea to set up a "European Agency for the Protection of Democracies" to help Member States protect their electoral process, the President of the European Council welcomed the idea of defending "democratic freedom" in the EU.
Mr Tusk added: "There are external anti-European forces, which are seeking – openly or secretly – to influence the democratic choices of Europeans, as was the case with Brexit and a number of election campaigns across Europe. And it may again be the case with the European elections in May."
"The European Renaissance, the Commission and France face the same fight", said Margaritis Schinas, the European Commission's spokesperson. He recalled that several elements presented in the forum correspond to structures that already exist or are being put into practice, citing in particular the European Coast Guard and Border Guard Agency, the European Innovation Council and the European Pillar of Social Rights. "We have legislated on all our commitments for 2030 under the Paris Agreement", he added. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)