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Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Macron lays out vision
Macron lays out vision for 'profound' changes in post-Brexit EU
French president proposes deeper political integration but suggests UK ‘may one day find place’ in EU moving at different speeds
The French president, Emmanuel Macron,
has set out his plans for a “profound transformation” of the EU with
deeper political integration to win back the support of disgruntled
citizens, but suggested a bloc moving forward at differing speeds could
become somewhere the UK may “one day find its place again”. Macron, a staunchly pro-European centrist who came to power in May
after beating the Front National’s Marine Le Pen, pleaded for the EU to
return to its founders’ “visionary” ideas, which were born out of the
disaster of two world wars. In what was hailed on Tuesday as one of the most pro-European
speeches by an EU leader in years, he spoke up for common EU policies on
defence, asylum and tax, called for the formation of European
universities, and promised to play Ode to Joy, the EU anthem, at the Paris Olympics in 2024. He said time was running out for the EU to reinvent itself to counter the rise of far-right nationalism and “give Europe back to its citizens”. With Brexit looming, Macron warned the rest of Europe against the dangers of anti-immigrant nationalism and fragmentation.
“We thought the past would not come back … We thought we had learned
the lessons,” he told a crowd of European students at Sorbonne
University in Paris. Days after a far-right party entered the German parliament for the first time in 70 years,
Macron said an isolationist attitude had resurfaced “because of
blindness … because we forgot to defend Europe. The Europe that we know
is too slow, too weak, too ineffective”. Macron said he was deliberately not saying much about Brexit in his
speech, but a reinvigorated EU with various levels of integration and
cooperation was somewhere the UK may “one day find its place again”. He left the suggestion deliberately vague. Macron’s proposals included
shoring up the 19-member eurozone with a finance minister, budget and
parliament – ideas dependent on the backing of Berlin. Major reform of
the eurozone risks being curtailed by conservatives in Angela Merkel’s
new coalition government, which is yet to be formed. Even before the German federal election, Berlin had ruled out euro bonds – shared borrowing across the eurozone. Germany
also puts more emphasis on enforcing financial rules in its discussions
about a European monetary fund, a vehicle to replace the existing
bailout mechanism. Q&A
Why do some states oppose deeper EU integration?
Macron
acknowledged these concerns in his speech, saying eurozone reform was
“not about mutualising our past debts or solving the financial problems
of one country”. In a defiant message to Germany’s pro-business Free
Democratic party, which could come into coalition with Merkel and warned of “red lines” this week, Macron said: “I don’t have red lines, I only have horizons.” To reduce inequalities across the EU, Macron suggested greater
harmonisation of tax policies, including taxing technology companies
such as Facebook and Apple where they make money rather than where they
are registered. Macron also proposed that every EU country should guarantee a minimum
wage and payroll charges. “I believe deeply in this innovation
economy,” he said. However, Macron added, “we must have this debate”
about making taxation fairer. He vowed to revive the French-backed project of a financial
transaction tax to fund overseas aid – an idea that has never got off
the ground since it was proposed in the aftermath of the financial
crisis. On defence, Macron called for a Europe-wide “rapid-reaction force” to
work with national armies and “a common strategic culture” of a joint
European defence budget and policy, ideas already under discussion but
in the early stages. He suggested the creation of a European
intelligence academy to better fight against terrorism, and a joint
civil protection force. On the migration crisis, Macron said: “Making a place in Europe for
refugees who have risked their life is our duty.” He pushed for a closer
common asylum policy, currently a work in progress that has been
criticised for failures. Macron also suggested a European asylum agency
and standard EU identity documents.
The French president said the EU needed to encourage “radical” digital innovation to compete internationally.
In
farming, he suggested he may be willing to challenge French shibboleths
by pledging reform of the common agricultural policy, which has
historically been defended by France and its powerful agricultural
lobbies. He did not neglect the nitty-gritty of EU institutions, repeating his support for transnational MEPs
and throwing his weight behind plans to limit the European commission
to 15 members, down from the “one country, one commissioner” quota that
has blocked change. Macron called for the creation of European universities and said that
by 2024, all European students should be able to speak at least two
European languages. Maria Demertzis, the deputy director of the Bruegal thinktank, said
Macron had been very cautious on eurozone reform, which reflected German
reality. “His speech touches on areas where there is very little
disagreement – defence, security, sustainable development, the young,
education, research,” she said. “This type of thing, everyone agrees on the need to do more. On the
eurozone reform, there is no agreement on this. For a eurozone budget to
make a difference, if it is a small budget we are back to square one.” Some ideas were traditional French priorities, such as an EU carbon
tax on exports from countries with lower environmental standards.
Previous French presidents, such as Nicolas Sarkozy, pursued this idea,
but lost out to the EU’s preferred option of a carbon-trading scheme. The speech was received warmly by the European commission president,
Jean-Claude Juncker. “A very European speech from my friend Emmanuel
Macron,” he tweeted. “What we need now is a roadmap to advance the union at 27. We have to
openly discuss all ideas and decide before May 2019,” Juncker said,
referring to a summit he wants Romania to host on 30 March 2019, the day
after Britain leaves the EU. In early December, the commission will publish proposals for a
eurozone finance minister and other reforms. EU leaders will discuss the
ideas at a summit later that month.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
