French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, 1 September that the recent speech by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at Charles University in Prague outlining Germany’s vision for the future of Europe (see EUROPE 13009/1) “is in line with the logic” of strengthening European sovereignty that he has been advocating since his speech at the Sorbonne in 2017.
In his view, unthinkable events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have vindicated the advocates of a “more self-aware” Europe, striving for independence from the US or China and defending a rules-based world order in the face of rising illiberalism. “We established the framework. Today, it has become widespread and has been taken on by Germany”, he noted in a speech in Paris at the French ambassadors’ conference.
Calling the Russian invasion “the first global hybrid war” with military, energy, food, migration and information consequences, Mr Macron said Europeans must prepare for “a long war”, act to avoid escalation and prepare for peace by continuing to talk to everyone, including Russia. And, he said, “the unity of Europe is fundamental” in the face of the Kremlin’s attempts to divide it.
In the coming months, we will have to build our “energy and technological independence” without having to choose between energy sovereignty and the climate, without falling into new energy dependencies, added the French president, citing the example of “hydrogen”. And, in terms of defence, “if every European State buys more, this does not mean buying non-European!”, he also warned.
At the international level, France and its partners must do everything to “prevent the division of the world that is at work”, urged Mr Macron, recalling that many countries, notably African, had abstained during the UN vote on the condemnation of the Russian aggression. In his view, we must not allow confusion to set in and must remind the leaders of these countries of the importance of the territorial integrity of States, respond to their anxieties by doing for “fertilisers” what is being undertaken with the FARM initiative in the food sector and building bilateral or regional partnerships between equals.
The French President also welcomed the German Chancellor’s support for the European Political Community (EPC) project which he launched (see EUROPE 12979/4). “Europe is not just about the EU”, he said. By bringing together the leaders of the countries concerned every six months, he hopes to build “strategic intimacy” on key issues such as energy and food security. This “radical change” will make it possible to stop Russia’s influence, especially in the Western Balkans, to “stop the music of non-recognition of many of these States” and to “put an end to the idea of infinite extension of the EU”, he said.
The first EPC meeting will take place on 6-7 October in Prague. Turkey’s participation remains an open question. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)