Macron begins French presidency addressing European Parliament

PARIS (Parliament Politics Magazine): The key concerns facing the European Union are climate change, digital transformation, and security, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on member nations to unite and establish a common stance.

The French presidency was kicked off by Macron on Wednesday in Strasbourg with a speech he gave to the MEPs.

He said that climate change was the first and a crucial challenge to the continent, applauding Europe for being the place where the globe united in 2015 to acknowledge the gravity of the issue and establish the goal of becoming a carbon neutral world by 2050.

“We have to move from words to deeds, transforming our industries, investing in new technologies,” he urged lawmakers. He also encouraged Europe for developing a carbon adjustment mechanism at the border, duplicating trade agreement language, and passing the first law of the world, prohibiting imports responsible for contributing to deforestation.

He demanded that environmental protection be included in the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. He also advocated that the legally enforceable wording include the right to abortion.

The digital revolution is the next challenge of the century, Macron stated. He urged the Historic Continent to create a true single digital market that would allow European digital “champions” to emerge and grow.

He stated that he wants a Europe that understands how to regulate and control digital players as well as defend the rights, freedoms and respect the private lives of people and battle hate speech and divisiveness.

‘Tensions are rising.’

“Of course, security is the third challenge,” the French president said, encouraging Europe to arm itself, not in spite of other countries, but to maintain its independence in this violent world, not to be susceptible to others’ choices, to retake control of its borders and space.

In matters of defence, responding to international problems cannot only be the reason for contentment, he added, emphasising the necessity for the union to “predict” and pursue strategic independence.

“Our Europe today is confronted with escalating tensions, in particular in our neighbourhood, with a disruption of the world, with a return to the tragedy of war,” he went on.

He encouraged Europeans to engage in talks with Russia, emphasising that they must together formulate demands of their own and position themselves to enforce these demands. He restated the EU’s position that neighbouring nations can choose which alliances and groups they wish to join on their own terms, rejecting the concept of “spheres of influence.”

Ukraine and the European Union and were excluded from security discussions between the US and Russia earlier this month. After posting tens of thousands of military equipment and troops along Ukraine’s border, Washington has blamed Moscow of planning an invasion.

Moscow denies this, but has requested assurances that neither Ukraine nor Georgia will ever be admitted to NATO, describing both nations as part of its sphere of influence. This demand has been rejected by Kyiv, Brussels, and Washington.

During his speech, Macron also stated that France intends to “change the Schengen area” in the following six months in order to curb illegal migration. External border needs protection which can be done by forming an ‘intergovernmental rapid intervention force’ and developing relationships with countries of origin and transiting to combat networks of smuggling and make France’s return policy successful.