Call for defense

Macron: “Our Europe could die”

French President Emmanuel Macron with dramatic words during his keynote speech

(Bild: AFP/Pool/Christophe Petit Tesson)

French President Emmanuel Macron has used drastic words to call on European states to do more for the continent's defense. Europe is at a turning point and must do more to compete with rapidly rearming global rivals and become a "credible" power. "There is a danger that our Europe could die", warned the head of state in a keynote speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris on Thursday.

The greatest danger currently emanates from the war in Ukraine. "The basic prerequisite for our security is that Russia does not win this war of aggression", said Macron. He proposed the creation of a European military academy. Europe must also strengthen the area of cyber security and promote the domestic arms industry: "How can we build our sovereignty, our autonomy, if we do not take responsibility for building our own European defense industry?"

The war in Ukraine is also a threat to Europe.

(Bild: AP)

Macron regrets Brexit
The French President also spoke out in favor of strengthening ties with the UK. He described the island's exit from the EU as one of the "unprecedented crises" that Europe has faced in recent years. 

Calls for greater involvement of the UK (pictured here: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak) in EU defense

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Economically, the old continent is in danger of falling behind in the international context and must rethink its growth model. Advisors to the President describe the speech as France's contribution to the EU's strategic agenda for the next five years. The agenda is to be decided after the European elections, which will take place in June.

Uproar over ground troop considerations
Macron had also recently attracted attention with his comment that the deployment of Western ground troops in Ukraine was not out of the question. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejects such ideas. Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) also stated that Macron's initiative was "not a common position".

Macron had already called for greater European sovereignty and a stronger common defense in the same magnificent lecture hall at the Sorbonne in 2017.