Europe could die – Macron — RT World News

French President Emmanuel Macron urged European Union countries to enact decisive changes to secure the bloc's economic interests in the face of turbulent times, warning that the United States cannot be relied upon for protection.

EU citizens are set to vote in early June to choose new members of the European Parliament, with opinion polls indicating a shift in favor of right-wing nationalist political forces. On Thursday, Macron addressed his counterparts across the continent from the Sorbonne University in Paris, urging bold policy changes.

According to the media, Thursday's speech was supposed to channel the energy that began in September 2017, when Macron made a similar appeal in the same location, months after winning his first term as head of the French Republic. In the seven years since, the EU has faced a series of crises, including Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the conflict in Ukraine.

“Europe today is deadly and could die” Macron warned. “He could die, it just depends on our choices.”

The French president promoted his idea of ​​”strategic independence” for Europe, especially with regard to military production. He reiterated that member states should spend more on defense and give priority to domestically produced weapons – a proposal that critics see as putting pressure on French arms manufacturers. Macron said this would reduce the continent's dependence on Washington.

European Union “It must show that it is never subservient to the United States, and that it also knows how to talk to all other regions of the world.” The president said.

It also called for a broader review of policies on fair trade, manufacturing standards and other areas that affect the competitiveness of European companies.

“It cannot work if we are the only ones in the world who respect the rules of trade — as they were written 15 years ago — if the Chinese and Americans no longer respect them by supporting critical sectors.” Macron declared.

He described Russia “Unbound” Behavior as a major threat to Europe. Moscow says the European Union shot itself in the foot by following the United States and joining what it sees as a proxy war against Russia, which in one case was waged in Ukraine.

Macron's presidency is scheduled to end in three years. His Ennahda political party lost its majority in the French parliament in 2022, while the right-wing National Rally party, which is expected to win the European Union elections in France next June, threatened to demand the dissolution of the national parliament if the president wins. The centrist coalition suffered a crushing defeat in June.