Emmanuel Macron’s announcements for the future: a strong France in a strong Europe

On Tuesday, January 16, the President of the Republic had an appointment with the French people in a format he had not used since 2019: more than two hours of a press conference at the Elysée, in front of a hundred journalists. The President’s speech came before the general policy statement of the new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, scheduled for January 30. The President of the French Republic wanted to set his course, “to explain the deep meaning” of his action and detailed his project for a “stronger and fairer France.”

“Each generation of French people must learn what the Republic means: its history, its rights, its duties, its language, its imagination, and that from childhood,” declared Emmanuel Macron.

In his speech, the President made several announcements for the coming months, in many sectors: from education to boosting birth rates, from security to health. He also announced, to continue removing blockages and barriers to innovation, a Macron 2 law for growth, activity, for simplification “to further liberate those who do, who dare, who work.”

Five months before the European elections, Emmanuel Macron also discussed several files related to the European Union.

In his opening remarks, the President declared: “France will be stronger, because Europe will be more powerful. I have never opposed these two notions. I even defend them as complementary. We have done a lot in recent years for a Europe of health, a Europe of defense, a Europe of technology and major programs, with real results. (…) We must go further. (…) The European elections will be an appointment and a moment of truth and a more powerful, more united, more sovereign Europe is an indispensable element of response for our country,” he concluded.

Asked by a journalist about the poor polls for the presidential majority and the rise of the far right, Emmanuel Macron criticized the party of “transformism” which six and a half years ago was in favor of leaving Europe and the euro and now is in favor of staying but without respecting the Treaties. “It’s the hidden Frexit, it’s also the impoverishment of France,” he added.

The head of state also announced that he would travel to Ukraine in the course of February “We cannot let Russia win and we must not do so, because the very security of Europe and the entire Russian neighborhood would be questioned,” he specified.