The French President, Emmanuel Macron, relaunched his desire for a strengthening of the strategic autonomy of the European continent after the election of Donald Trump during a speech at the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). ), organized in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, November 7.
The CPE, whose list of members is larger than that of the European Union, was created on the initiative of Mr. Macron in May 2022, a few months after the outbreak of war in Ukraine by Russia.
“This is a moment in history, for us Europeans, which is decisive. Basically, the question posed to us, do we want to read the history written by others, the wars launched by Vladimir Putin, the American elections, the choices made by the Chinese in technological or commercial terms? Or do we want to write history? And I think we have the strength to write it,” declared the French president.
Very offensive, Emmanuel Macron recalled having congratulated the elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, the day before, “that some of us around this table have known, four years ago, in their previous positions”. “I find that our role here, within the European Union, is not to comment on the election of Donald Trump, to know whether it is good or not good. He was elected by the American people, and he will defend the interests of Americans. It's legitimate and it's a good thing. The question is: “Are we ready to defend the interests of Europeans?” I think that’s our priority.”declared the head of state in particular.
Herbivores and carnivores
“This must be neither in a transatlanticism which would be naive, nor in the questioning of our alliances, nor in a narrow nationalism which would not allow us to take up this challenge facing China and the United States of America” , he continued. “This is a moment in history for us, Europeans, which is decisive. »
Sitting next to Mark Rutte, former Dutch prime minister who is now secretary general of NATO, the French president called for an acceleration of the development of European defense, compatible with the framework of the Atlantic Alliance but also autonomous of it. “There has been a strategic awakening that we must accept: we Europeans do not have to delegate our security to the Americans for eternity”said Mr. Macron on this subject.
“For me, it’s simple, the world is made up of herbivores and carnivores. If we decide to remain herbivores, the carnivores will win and we will be a market for them”added the French president, spinning this metaphor to urge Europeans to be ” at least “ of the “omnivores”. “I don't want to be aggressive, I just want us to know how to defend ourselves on each of these subjects. But I do not want to leave Europe as a formidable theater inhabited by herbivores, which carnivores, according to their agenda, will come to devour”he assured.
Source: Lemonde