This blog outlines Macron’s key messages on European issues. You can access the full speech here, which also details his diplomatic priorities at national and global levels.
French President Emmanuel Macron sets out key European priorities amid domestic turmoil and geopolitical uncertainty
During a speech to ambassadors and senior officials of French foreign policy, President Emmanuel Macron outlined his key priorities for Europe on January 6, 2025. Amid a fragile domestic political situation, including a minority coalition government, Macron sought to reaffirm France’s role as a leading force of the EU in a tense international context.
His overarching message was a call for European realism, urging Europeans to abandon naivety in dealing with foreign powers that disregard the rules that Europe applies to itself, particularly in trade and environmental standards. Macron highlighted progress on initiatives championed by France, such as strategic autonomy, European defence, and joint European debt issuance, and called for doubling European investments in key sectors.
He also emphasised international and European security challenges, with the strengthening of Europe’s defence capabilities singled out as a top priority, most notably in the context of providing support to Ukraine through continued military assistance.
Ensuring European Security Against the Rise of imperialism and migratory pressures
On the Middle East, Macron stressed the necessity for Israel to end the war in Gaza and to initiate a political process that recognises the State of Palestine—a measure that could also be pursued at the European level (neither France nor Germany or Italy currently recognises the State of Palestine). Regarding Syria, the proposed stance is cautious diplomatic re-engagement with the new authorities, emphasising the need to ensure the safety of refugees returning to Syria. Macron also pointed to Iran as the principal strategic challenge for Europeans in the region, calling on the new US administration to re-open negotiations on a treaty with stringent regulations governing relations with Iran.
On Ukraine, Macron’s main message was to avoid relying on promises of a swift resolution from the Trump administration. He emphasised that yielding to Russian demands would validate the use of force to trample international law. He recalled Russia’s destabilising actions targeting Europe, both externally (Moldova, Georgia, Armenia) and within the Union (Romania). For these reasons, he argued, Europeans cannot allow Russia to win the war. He called for a “realistic” negotiation of peace led by Ukrainians, backed by sustained Western military support, to compel Russia to come to the negotiating table.
On European Defence Industry, the French President called for deepening existing initiatives and adopting a clear preference for European options in European programs, particularly in the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). Noting the US’s clear priority shift towards the Indo-Pacific region and reluctance to invest billions in European security, Macron called on Europeans to face this reality.
On Migration Policy, Macron underscored the need to protect borders while building on progress in the new Pact on Asylum and Migration, whose implementation must be expedited. He warned against “innovative solutions” (the term used by the Commission to describe measures such as the Italy-Albania protocol) that are often non-compliant with European law and ineffective, advocating instead for more stringent cooperation with third countries, particularly regarding procedures for the return of illegal migrants. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining “selective immigration” to attract talent.
Halting the Economic Decline of the European Union
A comprehensive effort on simplification, President Macron highlighted overregulation as “a massive problem” and advocated for a suspension of a whole range of (unspecified) rules until Europeans regain their capacity for innovation. He also championed a deeper integration of the Single Market to remove barriers between member states. Harmonisation, particularly in creating a unified and interconnected energy market, must be accelerated.
Rethinking Trade, if the US and China do not adhere to WTO rules, the EU must respond, Macron argued1. He expressed the opinion that the European Commission’s actions on Chinese electric vehicles did not go far enough and called for more robust measures. He also reiterated his intent to send the French Prime Minister to China to ease retaliatory measures on brandy exports. On free trade agreements, Macron stressed the need for strict mirror clauses, which remain absent in the MERCOSUR deal. He noted that the recent agreement is merely a signature, and the issue is far from resolved.
Embracing an Industrial Policy, Macron expressed satisfaction with Europe’s shift in several sectors, such as semiconductors, batteries, and hydrogen, while urging greater ambition in three key areas: AI, clean technologies, and defence. He highlighted the upcoming international summit on AI, which will be hosted in France in February 2025, and will be attended by the Indian Prime Minister, among other notable figures.
Rethinking Financing: Investing More, Together, Macron called for increased EU own resources, common borrowing, and investment capacities at the European level, envisioning a doubling of the EU budget for investments. He outlined green industries, defence and AI technologies as priorities for investments. To achieve this shift, he also advocated for urgent reforms in achieving the European capital markets to redirect European savings toward investments within the continent.
1On January 7, the day after President Macron’s address, European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič paid a visit to the World Trade Organization. In the speech he delivered following the visit – a speech that was considerably more complimentary of the WTO than the speech delivered by President Macron – the Commissioner stressed the EU’s commitment to multilateral world trade rules, in addition to highlighting the importance of reform, if the WTO is to maintain its relevance.
Image source: Flickr, European Parliament