Europe risks being weakened and fragmented in the absence of strategies to boost its security, defence capacity and independence from the United States, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
In a two-hour speech at the Sorbonne, Macron said military, economic and other pressures could weaken and fragment the 27-nation EU.
He spelled out his vision for a more assertive EU on the global stage, warning that the continent must deal with the security risks it faced, but also avoid becoming a vassal of the US.
He said Russia must not be allowed to win in Ukraine, and called for a boost in Europe’s cybersecurity capacity, closer defence ties with post-Brexit Britain, and the creation of a European academy to train high-ranking military personnel.
He also warned that Europe risked falling behind economically as global free-trade rules were being challenged by major competitors. The European Central Bank should no longer just target inflation, but also growth and climate, he said.
The speech won a positive response from Macron’s main EU partner, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with whom he has often clashed on defence and trade issues.
Scholz said in a post: ‘France and Germany want Europe to be strong. Your speech contains good ideas on how we can achieve this.’
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