“It is up to us Europeans to defend these principles and inherent rights of states’ sovereignty.”
(Photo: Reuters)
Strasbourg French President Emmanuel Macron wants to set the course for a sustainable, strong and independent Europe during the French EU Council Presidency. It is important to re-establish the three major promises of the European Union of democracy, progress and peace, Macron said on Wednesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. To do this, the rule of law must be defended as a principle in the EU, otherwise there is a risk of a return to arbitrary rule.
Macron named climate change, digitization and the issue of security and peace in Europe as current challenges. The EU must not just react to crises, but act with foresight and not make its future dependent on the decisions of other countries.
On January 1st, France took over the presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, which changes every six months.
In view of the impending escalation in the Ukraine conflict, Macron called for a new European security and stability order. A proposal for this must be drawn up by the Europeans in the coming weeks and then shared with the NATO partners. The proposal must then be submitted to Russia for negotiations.
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The dialogue with Russia remains essential. “We will continue to seek a political solution to the Ukraine conflict with Germany as part of the Normandy format,” stressed Macron. The inviolability of the borders, the free choice of alliances, the renunciation of violence – these are all principles that Europe and Russia agreed on many years ago. “It is up to us Europeans to defend these principles and inherent rights of states’ sovereignty,” Macron said.
Focus on environmental protection and abortion rights
In his keynote speech, the French head of state emphasized that he wanted to include environmental protection and the right to abortion in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. “I want us to update this charter to be more explicit about protecting the environment and recognizing the right to abortion,” Macron said.
It is about convincing people again of the value of the rule of law and democracy in the European Union. “To that end, I want to strengthen our values as Europeans, which underpin our unity, pride and strength,” Macron said. The rule of law is not a Brussels invention that Brussels alone has, but a shared treasure.
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights was signed in 2000 and has been legally binding since December 2009, which means that EU citizens can claim their fundamental rights on this basis. The text summarizes all the civil, political, economic and social rights of European citizens.
Macron also announced that he would work at EU level for a quota of women on company boards. France will take strong steps during its EU Council Presidency to reduce income inequality between men and women and to take action against all forms of discrimination. In addition, they will campaign for a European minimum wage and more rights for employees of digital platforms.
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