Macron's initiative for Europe

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Macron's Initiative for Europe (“Initiative pour l'Europe”) consists of the content of the speech that Emmanuel Macron gave on September 26, 2017 at the Sorbonne . In it he pleaded for the re-establishment of a sovereign , united and democratic Europe. In the face of a weakened European Union exposed to the turbulence of globalization , it is important to counter those reactions that present themselves as the better solutions under the sign of nationalism , protectionism and “preserving sovereignty through isolation”. Their newly inflamed potential has been neglected and underestimated for too long, so that they could soon become overwhelming.

All of the challenges ahead, from global warming to digital change and migration to terrorism, are global in nature, so that nations left to their own devices can do little. In his speech, Macron developed proposals on how the European Union should, from his point of view, better assert its ability to act and its effectiveness while preserving unity in diversity and common democratic principles, both economically and culturally.

Building blocks for a re-establishment of Europe

Macron's basic assumption is that the European Union in its current constitution is too weak, too slow and too inefficient; The great challenges of this time can only be mastered for the French in an appropriately designed European framework. It is important to react to each of the upcoming challenges with concrete measures.

Renew Europe's ability to act

Macron complains that the wrong impression has been given that all uncomfortable compulsions and feelings of powerlessness are due to the Brussels bureaucracy alone . It will be forgotten “that we are Brussels, always!” Europe in its current constitution is probably too weak, too slow and too inefficient; But only the European Union could give the citizens of the member states the ability to act in today's world.

“There is a need to build a European sovereignty and there is a need to build it. Why? Because what defines our identity, what shapes our deep identity, this balance of values, this relationship to freedom, to human rights, to justice, is something that has never been seen on this planet. Loyalty to the market economy, but also to social justice, is just as important. We cannot blindly transfer what Europe represents, neither to the other side of the Atlantic nor to the borders with Asia. It is up to us to defend it and to build it up in globalization. "

From a security perspective, it is important to expand the fight against the financing of terrorism and terrorist propaganda on the Internet, to strengthen cybersecurity and to create a common area of ​​security and justice. In addition, it is a matter of organizing Europe in the field of military defense and, in addition to NATO , enabling it to act independently, also with the help of a European Defense Fund . "At the beginning of the next decade, Europe should have a common task force, a common defense budget and a common doctrine of action."

Macron proposes a European Academy for Intelligence and a European Public Prosecutor for Organized Crime and Terrorism as new institutions in the security sector . In view of the security threat posed by climate change , which is killing people week after week with fires, cyclones and floods, Macron would like to set up a European civil protection force to bundle rescue and operational resources .

In order to limit global warming more effectively, Macron is planning to make carbon dioxide emissions more expensive. The price should not be less than 25-30 euros per ton. A well-functioning pan-European energy market based on networks that can be quickly expanded is also needed. Renewable energies, which are abundant in certain regions at certain times of the year, should then benefit the whole of Europe as well as carbon-free and inexpensive nuclear energy at other times .

Perspectives on the Migration Question

For Macron, the migration crisis is not a crisis, but a long-term challenge. Europe’s fate is linked to that of the Near and Middle East as well as Africa. Only within a European framework will France also succeed in effectively protecting the borders, admitting asylum seekers in a dignified manner, being able to really integrate them and at the same time quickly sending back those who are not entitled to this protection.

“As long as we allow some of our partners to be inundated by a mass influx without us helping them secure their borders, as long as our asylum procedures continue to be slow and inconsistent, as long as we are unable to organize the return of immigrants who are not entitled to asylum together we will lack efficiency as well as humanity. "

Macron's proposals in this regard include a European asylum authority , networked databases and secure biometric identification documents ("we are currently processing tens of thousands of asylum applications in France that our European partners have already rejected"), a European border police and a large, solidarity-funded education and integration program for the refugees with the right to stay.

But only the stabilization and development of the countries of origin, according to Macron, would let the migration flows dry up. To this end, clear priorities must be set in European foreign policy: this applies above all to the Mediterranean region, "the heart of our civilization", and the African continent. Here, the development aid funds would have to be increased sustainably. The expansion of the financial transaction tax already existing in France and Italy on a European scale would be suitable for this purpose . With this in mind, Macron would be in favor of using all of the proceeds for European official development aid.

Shaping digital change

For Macron, digitization is not an industry-specific or marginal event, but one that calls into question the balanced European attachment to freedom, solidarity and security. It is now important for Europe to take the lead in the digital revolution through radical innovations and to attract the scientific and entrepreneurial talent it needs from everywhere. A European agency for radically new innovations to be created within two years should in future do for the EU what the DARPA set up by the USA had achieved when it conquered space.

When it comes to shaping digital change, however, it is also a matter of regulating the framework conditions at European level so that - as has been the case in this area up to now - the law of the stronger does not prevail. The project of a digital European single market would have to go hand in hand with regulations that ensure the protection of individual freedom and confidentiality and guarantee European companies fair conditions for participation in the market. It is unacceptable that European actors are taxed and international actors are not and that non-taxed market participants in the digital sector compete with taxable actors in the traditional economy. The appropriate means of arriving at uniform standards in this regard is to tax added value where it arises.

According to Macron, the digital economic sector must not differ from all others in that the value created is not remunerated to the person who creates it, but only to the person who transmits it to the end user. In the emerging digital Europe, it is therefore also a question of letting the authors play their part as the creators of identity in the intellectual and cultural tradition shared by Europeans. You are the real authority in Europe.

“That's why copyrights need to be defended in this modern digital space. And it is the dignity of Europe, it is its very own ability to exist and not to dissolve in such an area, which means that we can only achieve this change if we receive fair remuneration for all authors and all forms of artistic creation in the digital world Defend the world. "

Alignment of economic and social systems in the euro area

Macron complains that after the upheavals of the financial crisis from 2007 onwards, one in five young people in the euro zone is still unemployed. This must be remedied by turning this zone into an economic power that is competitive with China and the USA. France is in the process of reforming the labor market , vocational training and economic financing and consequently has every right to make proposals at European level.

“A state cannot survive a crisis on its own if it no longer decides on its currency policy. For all these reasons, we need a stronger budget in the center of Europe, in the center of the euro area.
The resources in this budget will have to reflect this objective. The European taxes in the digital or ecological area will thus represent a real European source of financing common expenditure. "

A common budget requires the control of a common minister and demanding parliamentary control at European level. Only with a strong international currency in the eurozone could Europe offer the framework of a global economic power. Macron is also aiming for solidarity to be revived in Europe, which is directed against social dumping on the labor market. In addition, a program of tax and social convergence had to be set up. For corporation tax, a binding range of tax rates should be set for the member states for the 2020 EU budget ; Member states should only continue to have access to resources from the Cohesion Fund if they are complied with. More convergence is also needed with minimum wages and social security standards. Macron is in favor of granting the highest level of social security, “but in favor of the country of origin. This money feeds a solidarity fund that benefits the least rich countries so that they can come closer together. "

Language and cultural diversity turned positively

According to Macron, what defines Europe and holds it together is culture and knowledge. The alleged fragmentation is basically Europe's greatest opportunity. Europe should become a space in which every student speaks at least two European languages ​​by 2024. It is important to strengthen the exchange. By 2024, half of an age group, whether students or trainees , should have spent at least six months in another European country by the age of 25. According to Macron, at least 20 European universities should also be established by 2024, "which form a network of universities from several European countries and create a course of study in which every student studies abroad and attends seminars in at least two languages." for the harmonization or mutual recognition of secondary school diplomas.

“The Europe of multilingualism is an unprecedented opportunity. Europe is not a homogeneous entity in which everyone has to dissolve. European complexity lies in the ability to think of the parts of Europe without which it is never entirely itself. And this in turn means that a traveling European is always a bit more than a French, Greek, German or Dutch. He is European because he already has this universal part that Europe and multilingualism hold in them. […] Our political debates are always more difficult in Europe than in the rest of the world. Because the European Sisyphus still has to roll what cannot be translated. But this untranslatable is our chance! It is part of the mystery in each and every one of us and it is part of the trust in the European project. It is the fact that we who do not speak the same language and have that part of unknown and insurmountable difference decide at some point to work together, even though we could have parted. I confess to this part of the untranslatable, insurmountable difference because I would like to imagine a happy Sisyphus. "

For Macron, the unspeakable in German is the financial transfer; the unpronounceable in French is the treaty change. But in order to secure Europe in the long term, both will be needed. The traditional integration mechanism of an enlightened pro-European avant - garde , which had managed without the participation of the EU population, came from a different time with different communication media than today and could not be continued in this way. This was shown by the constitutional referendums in France and the Netherlands . The task now is to re-establish the European process with the peoples.

A free and transparent European debate on reorientation

With a view to the 2019 European elections , Macron is in favor of organizing an extensive debate “to define the priorities, concerns and ideas for our roadmap for tomorrow's Europe”. One should not be impressed by those who habitually see nothing but a condensate of national debates in European elections. There should be transnational lists in 2019 through which Europeans could vote for a coherent and joint project. By the United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum in 2019 73 European parliamentary seats would be free. According to Macron, these should be reserved for a transnational list in which the same MEPs can be voted on across Europe. "And I would like that in the subsequent elections the real step forward can be taken, with half of the European Parliament being elected through these transnational lists."

“And in this legislative period from 2019 to 2024, Europe needs to be reshaped. All those who say we have to wait have been saying this for years and decades. The procrastination is in keeping with the indolence I just mentioned. You want to let another opportunity slip by! We are out of whack! There are threats! Audacity is our only answer. New heightened ambitions are the only resistance. We mustn't be afraid, let's go ahead. "

From Macron's point of view, a 30-strong European Commission is not suitable for ensuring an institutionally functioning EU. Instead, a commission with only 15 members should be aimed for. The founding states of the Community should set a good example and forego their own commissioner. In this way, competencies could be bundled instead of fragmented.

According to Macron, the European Union as a key factor for peace and stability on the continent must also be ready to accept the Balkan states as further members as soon as they fully comply with the acquis communautaire and the democratic requirements. Their connection to the Union is necessary as a guarantee that they will not join Russia, Turkey or other powers that are far removed from the values ​​of the EU.

Macron believes that it is a fact and makes sense to acknowledge that Europe is already moving forward at different speeds. In this regard, he primarily proposes a new partnership for Germany, but also sees corresponding opportunities and shared visions with many other partners. Complete market integration could be undertaken by 2024 and companies subject to the same rules, from company law to bankruptcy law.

Macron describes the core goal of his food for thought and initiatives as “giving Europe back to itself and to the European citizens.” At the end of the speech it was stated:

“So I say to all the heads of state in Europe that regardless of our difficulties and any turbulence, we have one responsibility, namely that to which our young people oblige us; the responsibility for the generations to come, the responsibility to receive their gratitude, otherwise we will deserve their resentment. I have decided."

Start and progress of the initiative

Two days after Macron's speech at the Sorbonne, EU heads of state and government discussed the latest reform plans for the first time on the occasion of the digital summit under the Estonian Presidency in Tallinn, after EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his Report on the state of the EU had already submitted in this regard. Also in view of Macron's more far-reaching plans, a comparative study on the part of the Commission found a great deal of agreement. EU Council President Donald Tusk spoke of a good and constructive debate and announced that a political agenda to be presented in the short term would take into account both the interests expressed by some in smaller reform steps and those in larger reform projects. It also applies in connection with new ideas to preserve the unity of the 27 EU states .

Macron's initiative aimed specifically at Germany - the speech of September 27, 2017, the content of which Chancellor Angela Merkel was informed about, was given directly after the 2017 federal election - did not come to fruition as hoped, despite the cautiously positive reaction. The signing of a new Élysée treaty with Germany, which Macron had planned for January 2018, was done by itself, as the constitution of a new federal government after the 2017 federal election dragged on until March 14, 2018 due to the failure of the exploratory talks in Jamaica .

In the press euphoric approval and skeptical reservations mixed. In the Süddeutsche Zeitung it was said: “Macron spoke to students at the Sorbonne and at the same time to all Europeans. His speech is a turning point, a wake-up call, a program, a manifesto. It ends the paucity of European politics and the numbness of fear in the face of nationalists. It is - even if everything does not seem realistic today - a cornucopia of ideas to make the European Parliament more powerful, tax law fairer, the defense more effective and the EU Commission more energetic. "The magazine Cicero commented:" The speech was deliberately so laid that it bursts in the middle of the Berlin coalition negotiations. It contained a few messages to Merkel and her new friends from Jamaica. “I know your worries, I've also seen the advance of the nationalists,” Macron called out to the Chancellor. 'No retreat, no hesitation' is the name of the game now. 'Daring and a sense of history, that's what I offer you!' He could hardly have formulated the appeal not to hold out the EU any longer more directly. In Paris they fear just like in Brussels that Berlin could be paralyzed by weeks of coalition negotiations after the election - and in the end only in minimal compromise on the reform of the EU and the euro - monetary union agrees. It is more likely, however, that he will fare like Juncker and May. The German audience applauds politely, only to tear the proposals up in the air. " The Tagesspiegel said:" It is no secret that Emmanuel Macron had hoped for a continuation of the Europe-friendly grand coalition in Berlin. But he cannot allow himself to be dissuaded from his plans by German hesitation. His credibility in his own country and as a European figurehead is at stake. He will look for other partners, and as things stand that can only be the southern European countries. So if Germany refuses, it will refrain from exerting any influence on the future development of the euro zone - actually inconceivable. "

Macron's speech to the European Parliament

On April 17, 2018, Macron renewed its initiative for Europe in a speech followed by a questioning before the European Parliament. The answer of the European Union to the widespread authoritarianism, warned Macron, should not be authoritarian democracy, but must consist in the authority of democracy. The United States, with which one shares so much, is today confronted with the temptation to withdraw and reject it in relation to multilateralism , climate protection or trade policy issues. The European model is more efficient than any other, but also requires daily use in order to develop positively. Those who warn against accelerating the pace in order not to demand too much from the EU population are playing into the hands of the populists and following an out-of-date "melody of immobility". Instead, it is time to “listen to the wrath of the peoples of Europe. What they need is not a pedagogy, but a new project, a necessary efficiency in everyday life. But those who peddle this anger, which they consciously stir up, are the only future that offers only the impasse of a return to the nationalist disunity of yesterday. "The coming year must be used for a structured debate; It should not go on as before, refusing to discuss Europe, assigning posts and blaming Brussels and Strasbourg for all the evils. Macron advocates citizen surveys as an innovative element to bring about an “honest, open, not smooth and quite difficult debate” in which it would be necessary to fathom “what unites people and what separates them, in order to get away from the undifferentiated yes-no alternative . "

Macron again emphasized the goal of European sovereignty. It is not about an abstract idea, not about a watering down of one's own sovereignty, but rather a sovereignty "which should complement and not replace it and which alone will enable us to adequately deal with the great migration movements, the security problems in this world, to face the profound economic, social and ecological changes and to provide the right answers. ”On the issue of migration, one must leave behind the poisoned debate about the Dublin rule and the redistribution of refugees and“ realize the external and internal solidarity that ours Europe needs. I therefore propose to set up a European program that provides local authorities that take in and integrate refugees with direct financial support. ”Macron repeated before the European parliamentarians his proposals on digital taxation in order to increase the EU's own resources , for the gradual implementation of a banking union and to create an EU budget fund to ensure more stability and convergence in the euro area. Convergence criteria are also helpful in harmonizing tax and social policy. Health and nutrition-related sovereignty should also be promoted. In the field of culture, he again referred to the idea of ​​European universities, to copyright protection and to the "digital sovereignty" to be strived for, primarily relating to the protection of personal data. As a prerequisite for a credible energy transition , France will promote the idea of ​​a CO 2 minimum price and support the idea of ​​a CO 2 tax at the borders.

The questioning of Macron following the speech was accompanied by some critical remarks. Europe is more than Germany and France, EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is quoted as saying, who gave Macron the task of thinking about other countries as well. Udo Bullmann (SPD), the new head of the social democratic parliamentary group in the EU Parliament , took the view that Macron could no longer rely on “Madame Non” (Angela Merkel); he will also have difficulties with the "many little mini-Schäubles" in Berlin. “The window for reforms is closing”, according to the daily newspaper , “the visions are losing their shine. This could still be dangerous for Macron. Because if he can't show results soon, his domestic opponents are likely to get stronger again. And they are not friends of the EU - on the contrary. "

Macron's speech on the occasion of the Charlemagne Prize award ceremony

When the Charlemagne Prize was awarded on May 10, 2018, Macron also campaigned for an immediate new start with radical reforms of the European Union. In the reason for the award of the prize, he is certified that he is not concerned with “small institutional issues”, but “with the essential questions of principle, with the great European story with which he wants to win people back for the work of unification.” He stands for that modern political life must rediscover the sense of the symbolic. “This opens up the hitherto unique scene of the newly elected French President, who strides through the inner courtyard of the Louvre not to the Marseillaise but to the sounds of the European anthem to speak to his supporters and to confirm that France is firmly anchored in the European Union underline. "

In his acceptance speech, Macron combined his plea for European sovereignty with the call for self-assertion in the trade conflict emanating from the Trump administration : “We Europeans, we are the keepers of what I consider to be a strong international multilateralism . And it is up to us to defend this multilateralism in the sense of our own sovereignty, to give in on nothing and neither to be naive in the face of unfair competition nor weak in the face of the threats from those who sometimes even drafted these rules together with us. "

The Member States of the European Union may be pleaded Macron, not to be split, but must work on their cohesion. Each country has its own responsibility and decision-making authority for reforms to deal with the crisis; but there is also a necessary solidarity with one another. The Germans would have enjoyed this in the course of reunification in order to get to where Germany is today in Europe; At present it is important for Europeans to show solidarity in matters of migration, European finances and in view of the fact that youth unemployment has risen up to 50 percent in some regions. Addressing his laudator Angela Merkel, Macron spoke out in favor of not cultivating any fears about certain differences in the handling of public money: He was ready for far-reaching reforms in order to reduce public spending and help shape the corresponding rules within a European framework. Analogous to this, however, in Germany there should be no permanent clinging to budget and trade surpluses, because that is always at the expense of others.

Macron's final appeal was again aimed at resolutely swift action: “Let's not wait! It's about now! We waited too long for each other. […] It is not a question of honoring a symphony written yesterday, but of continuing to write on this unfinished score, which is our score because it is our challenge, our duty and certainly also our task, and because I am deeply involved I am convinced that she will decide now! "

Web links

See also

Remarks

  1. ↑ “Not because the population is gullible! Not because the European idea is dead! But because we have created the conditions for their victory out of inattention, weakness or blindness. Because we forgot to set the thread for this goal! Because we forgot to defend Europe! Because we forgot to make proposals for Europe! Because we have allowed doubts to nestle. "( Translation of the speech in full, p. 3 )
  2. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 3 f.
  3. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 3
  4. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 4
  5. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 5
  6. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 11
  7. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 12
  8. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 14
  9. ↑ In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 24, 2018, Macron put the necessary education and qualification efforts in France and Europe at the forefront, in the spirit of Jean Monnet , who, in the light of his experience, tends to make a new attempt to unify Europe would have wanted to start with culture rather than economy. ( A university for Europe! The European Union has to reinvent itself - in lecture halls, laboratories, libraries. A concrete utopia. In: Die Zeit , February 1, 2018, p. 65)
  10. ↑ “What is closer”, it says at the time , “if you want to re-establish Europe, than resorting to the oldest European institution besides the Church? What could be more natural than bringing young Europeans together in places where they can debate the future of the continent, a future that seems more fragile than it has been in a long time? "Many of Macron's proposals were widely discussed," but the idea of ​​the European University, of all things remained largely unnoticed. "( A university for Europe! The European Union must reinvent itself - in lecture halls, laboratories, libraries. A concrete utopia. In: Die Zeit , February 1, 2018, p. 65)
  11. ↑ «L'Europe, ça n'est pas une homogénéité dans laquelle chacune et chacun devraient se dissoudre.»
  12. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 15 f.
  13. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 17 f.
  14. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 18 f.
  15. ^ Translation of the speech in full, p. 22 f.
  16. ↑ PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF EUROPE as laid out in President Juncker's State of the Union and President Macron's Initiative for Europe ; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  17. ↑ Macron puts pressure on the EU . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung , September 29, 2017; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  18. ^ French President Macron: I voted on the European speech with Merkel ; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  19. ↑ Europe would be blinded if Macron were to underestimate it . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, September 28, 2017; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  20. ↑ Eric Bonse: French horizons against German red lines . In: Cicero. Political Culture Magazine. September 26, 2017; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  21. ^ After Macron's speech: Europe does not wait . In: Der Tagesspiegel, September 26, 2017; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  22. ↑ The speech of the French President before the European Parliament in full. In: Élysée . April 17, 2018, accessed July 12, 2018 .
  23. ↑ Speech in the EU Parliament: Macron alone in Europe . In: Die Tageszeitung, April 17, 2017; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  24. ^ Justification of the board of directors of the society for the award of the International Charlemagne Prize in Aachen to the President of the French Republic ; accessed on June 12, 2018.
  25. ↑ «Alors mes amis, ayons aujourd'hui mais plus encore demain et après-demain cette force d'âme de vouloir cette Europe, cette Europe qui a fait ce temps carolingien où nous nous trouvons aujourd'hui non pas pour honorer une symphonie écrite here mais pour continuer à écrire cette partition inachevée qui est la nôtre parce que c'est notre défi, parce que c'est notre devoir, parce que c'est sans doute notre vocation et parce que j'ai la conviction profonde qu'elle se décide maintenant! » ( Written version of Macron's speech on the occasion of the Charlemagne Award ceremony on May 10, 2018 ; accessed on June 12, 2018)