Macron calls for European rearmament, security talks with Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron called Wednesday for Europe to become a “power of the future”, capable of guaranteeing its own security in the face of Russian military moves on the continent’s doorstep.

The 44-year-old leader, who is set to seek re-election in April, addressed lawmakers at the European Parliament to lay out his priorities for France’s turn holding the six-month rotating presidency of the 27-member bloc.

The agenda intends to “create together a European power of the future… an independent Europe that has given itself the means to decide its own future and not rely on the decisions of other major powers,” he said.

Over his four and a half years in power, Macron has consistently argued for what he calls European “strategic autonomy”, seeking to match the continent’s undisputed economic weight with diplomatic and military strength.

Many experts see the vision as far-fetched because of policy divisions between member states and their unwillingness or inability to pool their defence resources.

Macron argued that Europeans needed to build their own “collective security framework” and re-arm themselves, implying that the continent needed to work outside of the US-led NATO alliance that guarantees security for most EU states.

“Security on our continent requires strategic rearmament,” he added, saying that “frank and demanding” talks with Russia were also needed.

“As Europeans, we need to collectively make our own demands and put ourselves in a position to enforce them,” he said.

The European Union was not involved in direct talks with Moscow during a week of diplomacy last week to try to ease tensions caused by Russia’s decision to mass tens of thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine.

Macron said he “regretted” that proposals earlier this year from him and former German Chancelor Angela Merkel for the EU to hold direct talks with Russia had been refused by other EU member states.

Macron said a new “security framework” needed to be put forward “in the next few weeks” during France’s presidency of the European Council.

“We need to build it between us, Europeans, share it with our allies in NATO, and propose it for negotiation to Russia,” he told lawmakers.

At the heart of the framework would be principles agreed with Russia 30 years ago, he said.

These included rejecting the use of force or coercion, giving states “choices to accede to alliances or bodies that they wish to,” the “inviolability of borders” and the “rejection of spheres of influence.”

“We in Europe need to stand up for these inherent rights,” Macron said.

– Abortion –

The French head of state also said he would push to have the right to abortion and defence of the environment added to the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights.

“We must update this charter to be more explicit on protection of the environment, the recognition of the right to abortion,” Macron told lawmakers.

“Let us open up this debate freely with our fellow citizens… to breathe new life into the pillar of law that forges this Europe of strong values,” he said.

The call to enshrine a woman’s right to abortion in the European Union’s charter, ratified by member states in 2000, comes just a day after the parliament elected Malta’s Roberta Metsola, a staunch abortion opponent, as its president.

Abortion is illegal in Malta and Poland introduced strict legislation in 2020 that made abortions nearly impossible to get, so it is not clear if France will be able to forge an agreement on changing the Charter.

Macron nonetheless congratulated Metsola on her election in his opening remarks, acknowledging her belief in “our Europe, this Europe sustained by the values that bind and unite us.”

He also urged lawmakers to accept “this task of ours, and surely of our generation, to respond profoundly to the renewal of its promises”.

Among other proposals, Macron said that France would seek to improve the EU’s border protections by increasing patrols on the external frontiers of the bloc and reinforcing mechanisms to return illegal immigrants to their countries of origin.