During a visit to Brussels, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Laurence Boone, said, on Tuesday 6 September, that the ‘European Political Community’ (EPC) project approved in June by the European Council (see EUROPE 12979/4) aims to be a “positive mirror” of what Russia and China are doing “in the negative”, notably in the Western Balkans.
“This will anchor and secure these countries” that are struggling to sell, to their public, the long and tedious process of joining the EU, Ms Boone said. She noted “enormous interest” in the EPC project among EU candidate countries and other neighbouring European countries to work on an equal footing with EU Member States on areas of cooperation such as “defence, energy, interconnections”.
According to Ms Boone, all European countries sharing democratic values should join the EPC. There is, however, a debate on Turkey’s participation in the EPC launch meeting on 6-7 October in Prague.
The former OECD chief economist welcomed the many “common points” between Macron's vision of European sovereignty and the position on the future of the EU outlined by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Prague at the end of August (see EUROPE 13009/1). According to her, the fact that there will be no national elections in France and Germany in the coming years, apart from the European elections in spring 2024, should allow for a “roadmap” at the Franco-German level. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)