Macron’s European Renaissance – realistic ambition or pipe dream?
PARIS – On March 4th, French President Emmanuel Macron presented his ambitious roadmap to a new “European Renaissance” in a letter addressed to all European Citizens. In this appeal, he pointed out the urgency to strengthen the European Union for the many challenges ahead such as economic crises, security, international trade, and identity among others. For this, he presented his three main ambitions of freedom, protection and progress.
Mr. Macron wrote that “(…) collectively we should reinvent – politically and culturally – the shape of our civilization in a world that is being transformed. It is time for the European renaissance.”
He proposed different pillars needed to achieve this, including such big and wide-reaching ideas as the creation of a “European Agency for the Protection of Democracies”. This agency would facilitate the fight against cyber-attacks and other attempts of direct or indirect manipulations of democratic processes (i.e. elections or campaigning). Another example of his ambitions is the establishment of a “common border force and a European asylum office”. Together with a new European Council for Internal Security they would support the member states in following up on their control obligations as well as fostering European solidarity regarding security and migration. Furthermore, he called for the need to introduce a European minimum wage that should be adapted to each country and collectively revised on a yearly base.
His call for a united and strong Europe is not new as he has always been a fierce advocate of the benefits that the Union is providing and its huge dormant potential. However, it also comes at a strategic timing as the European Parliament Election will be taking place between May 23rd-26th. Given the political climate in the EU with populism and anti-EU sentiment affecting many member states, Mr. Macron is right in positioning his party for this election and trying to reach out to a broader European audience with his pro-European appeal.
I was able to talk to Salvador Llaudes, who is an analyst on European Affairs at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid, and asked him about his views on Macron’s European Renaissance and whether he thinks the proposals are realistic or not.
Salvador explains that “when Emmanuel Macron's movement won the French elections (both the Presidential and the elections to the National Assembly) the European Union took a deep breath. Macron's program was extraordinarily pro-European, in deep contrast with Le Pen's. Since then, he has been trying to make it possible, giving a number of inspiring speeches (Athens, Sorbonne, European Parliament), with little success however.”
He goes on explaining this failure with “the difficult scenario the EU is facing. Together with the first-ever exit from a member state, the European Union has seen in the last few years a crisis that has caused, among others, some deep changes in the political systems of the member states. Apart from the clear objective of remaining together (interestingly Brexit has provoked both less appetite for other "exits" and unity at 27 vis-à-vis the complicated digestion of it), there is no clear perspective of what to do next”, adding that “the lack of ambition from Germany has been notable.
As a consequence of its internal debates, Macron has not been able to convince Merkel (and AKK) of the need for deep, structural changes (the small Eurozone budget aside) that may bring possible a "renaissance of the EU.” Finally, he clearly points out the need for “France and Germany agreeing to EU reform”, and the fact that “without joint Franco-German leadership it is very difficult to see new projects taking place.”
This shows that Mr. Macron can propose and appeal as much as he wants - without the necessary political willingness and dedication by other important players he won’t see his European Phoenix rise anytime soon.