France starts its EU presidency with ambition and electoral shadow

France took over this Saturday from Slovenia in the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union with the aim of achieving a more sovereign Europe and the desire to bet on an economic model that does not exclude the preservation of the planet, but the country will have to keep an eye on its choices.

The ambitious wishes expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron collide at the moment with the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic, which darkens the 2022 horizon, but also with the holding of the French presidential elections in April.

Full months are announced for Macron, who has not yet confirmed his candidacy for the presidency although it is assumed that he will do so, with clear possibilities of qualifying for the second round and winning, according to the first polls of voting intention.

It is likely that Macron, a convinced Europeanist, as he demonstrated this Friday in his New Year’s resolution speech when defending Europe as a tool of solidarity and growth, will take advantage of this presidency in the EU to extol his figure as a statesman, while in opposition all the confirmed candidates for the election campaign against macronism.

And that macronism is today in France the main face of those who unambiguously defend multilateralism and the European alliance, in the face of identity discourses, which comprise a large part of the electoral pre-campaign.

At midnight, the Elysee, the Eiffel Tower and other French monuments were illuminated with the European flag, which will be reflected in buildings across the country throughout this week.

The last time France was in charge of the EU Council was in 2008 with Nicolas Sarkozy.

But then, before the signing of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the role of the president was also to direct the European Council and Foreign Affairs, missions for which today there are two specific positions that are in the hands of the Belgian Charles Michel and the Spanish Josep Borell, respectively.

Macron’s role will now be to lead the discussions of the EU Council, which brings together the representatives of the 27 member states with ministerial rank and has legislative functions, with the aim of reaching compromises and bringing positions closer together.

Sovereignty and environment

But the position also offers the opportunity to organize informal meetings between the countries giving priority to certain issues, for which France has planned up to 400 appointments.

Thus, Macron will try to accelerate issues such as autonomy in the provision of strategic products, incite a new growth model that reconciles the protection of the environment with the economy, facilitate cooperation within European borders and strengthen its external sovereignty.

The French president also wants to reform the Schengen area to protect the EU’s external borders and also review the budgetary framework of the Maastricht agreements.

In his opinion, Europe will not be able to overcome the climatic, health, cultural or digital challenges that are presented to it by relying on rules created in the 1990s, so he wants a “strategic discussion” on this.

“We must together define the Europe of 2030. Building strong and integrated industrial subsidiaries, hydrogen, batteries, space, semiconductors, cloud, defense, health, culture and cultural and creative industries will structure that world. “Said Macron in December at the presentation of the main axes of his leadership.

Under France’s turn, Europe will tackle key legislative bills such as regulating tech giants, as well as a dozen projects to meet the European goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Paris also hopes to advance in these six months the device that would allow the taxation within European borders of the producers of certain materials or products imported into the EU without complying with social or environmental standards.

In France, the opposition fears that Macron will exploit this presidency to claim certain merits, such as the approval of the Gafam regulation, which is already well advanced.