On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his priorities as the upcoming rotating president of the European Union (EU), focusing on the rule of law, migration and border reforms, climate action, economic development, and digital transformation.
Macron declared that France’s motto for its upcoming presidency is: “Recovery, power, belonging.” He further envisioned a “move towards a Europe that is powerful in the world, fully sovereign, free in its choices, and in charge of its own destiny.” In a tweet, Macron wrote: “The moment we live in is rare. In the Europe of 27, France holds the presidency once every thirteen years. On January 1, 2022, we will be responsible for carrying ambitions for Europe.”
Among France’s priorities for the EU presidency are:
Reforming the Schengen area
Macron wants Europe to be able to control its borders, and he hopes to introduce reform for the Schengen free-movement area. He also proposed to set up an emergency reaction capability to aid EU member states who are facing crises at their borders, in a reference to Poland.
The French leader said: “To prevent the right of asylum--which was invented on the European continent and which is ours to honour--from being misused, we must absolutely find a Europe that knows how to protect its borders and find a political organisation that puts us in a position to defend its values, which is why we will initiate, under this presidency, a reform of the Schengen area.”
He further justified this reform by citing attempts to destabilise European borders and tensions in close neighbourhoods. In recent months, tensions between Belarus and the EU have flared up after the bloc accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of encouraging migrants to enter Europe via Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
Furthermore, Macron highlighted the importance of strengthening relations with Africa and announced the Africa-EU Summit in February in Brussels. “It is in our common interest. We must do this as Europeans by building a future for African youth to reduce inequalities, to fight against the trafficking that exploits misery and the smugglers who have turned the Mediterranean into a cemetery of shame,” he said.
C’est en donnant un avenir à la jeunesse africaine que nous mettrons fin aux drames humains en Méditerranée. Échanges universitaires, scientifiques, artistiques, entre nos sociétés civiles et nos jeunesses : c’est tout cela que nous devons encourager.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 9, 2021
Preserving Europe’s social model
Macron called for a model of production and solidarity to defend Europe’s social model. He said his country would host a summit to discuss Europe’s new growth and investment model on March 10 and 11. Additionally, the French leader called for new budget rules that take into consideration the post-COVID-19 economy. He also expressed his hope of introducing a six-month civic service for all Europeans under the age of 25.
Carbon tax, climate ambitions, and economic development
The French president outlined plans for the EU’s new border carbon tax and committed to balancing climate ambitions and economic development. He added that the Union would adopt measures to fight deforestation by restricting the import of products that promote deforestation.
La directive sur les salaires minimum dans l’Union européenne - qui définit non pas un SMIC européen comme une moyenne, mais tire tous les bas salaires vers le haut grâce à un salaire minimum décent - sera au cœur de notre présidence. Je m'y engage.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 9, 2021
Digital Transformation
Macron said he would transform Europe into a digital power by prioritising the Digital Services Act and the Digital Market Act and contributing to the regulation and accountability of platforms. He committed to regulating social media platforms and holding them accountable for hate content.
Avec le Parlement européen, nous ferons en sorte d’éviter que les géants du numérique deviennent des monopoles sans règles et tuent l’esprit d’innovation qui, hier, leur a permis d’émerger.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 9, 2021
The rule of law
Macron called the debate on the rule of law non-negotiable and urged countries to work together for Europe, perhaps in a nod to countries like Poland and Hungary which have fallen foul of EU regulations in recent times.
Apart from this, he discussed the upcoming French presidential elections and declined to present himself as a candidate. Macron is yet to officially declare his candidacy, but it is widely believed that he will run for a second term.