Emmanuel Macron, the French President, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine warned Europe that it must become more independent for its own defence and should ensure uninterrupted energy supplies.
Pointing to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Macron said that it has changed the era across the continent and that in the upcoming week he would be calling a meeting of the European leaders to discuss how to address the challenge that has been created by the conflict.
He called for a more sovereign and independent Europe to counter the shift signalled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Europe must now accept the price for peace, freedom and democracy, he added in a televised national address. He further said that Europe must invest more to depend less on others and to be able to decide for itself.
War in Europe no longer belongs in our history or school books, it is here, he said. Democracy is no longer an unquestionable system, it is being questioned. Our freedom and that of our children is no longer a given, the French President said.
The war will definitely have an impact on France’s industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as on its’ economic growth. Macron said that he has asked his prime minister, Jean Castex to work on a resilience plan to support the economy.
Macron’s serious and patriotic address came as he is expected to announce that he is standing for re-election. The candidates have until 6 pm French time on Friday to declare.
The opinion poll done before his national address suggests that Macron is enjoying an extraordinary boost in support, where 28 per cent of the voters said that they will support him in the first round of the election next month, which is far ahead of his closest rival, Marine Le Pen, who received 17 per cent support.
Macron’s desire
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has given significance to Macron’s deep-rooted belief that the European Union should have its own joint defence force. Shortly after he was elected in 2017, in a major speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris, he had said that the European Union needs to have an autonomous capacity for action through a joint military force, with a shared defence budget and a common defence policy. Any new European Union defence force would act as a complement to NATO and not a rival, he had said.
