On Jan. 1, 2022, France took up the presidency of the Council of the European Union – a position which each member state, in turn, holds for six months and which France has not held for 13 years.
To mark the event, at midnight, the Eiffel Tower and the Elysée Palace were illuminated in European blue. Dozens of other iconic buildings throughout the country will be similarly lit up throughout the first week of January.
Back on Dec. 9, President Emmanual Macron presented his priorities for the period of the French presidency and despite the Union’s well-defined framework, France will have some influence over its orientation during this period.
The situation was very different when Nicolas Sarkozy held the Presidency in 2008. That was the year before the Treaty of Lisbon came into force, bringing with it profound changes to the organigram of the EU.
Macron’s plan to impact European Development
On Dec. 9, at a press conference in front of the Elysée Palace, President Macron declared the priorities for France’s presidency of the EU with the three words: “Relaunching, strengthening, belonging”.
France’s three priority projects for the term of its presidency are the establishment of a minimum wage throughout the EU, the regulation of digital currencies and the introduction of a carbon tax on all products imported to the EU based on their impact on the environment.
It is not only the French president who steps up to this symbolic leadership the Council of the EU, but each member of his government also takes on a leadership role in the Council according to her or his position in the French government – the notable exception to this being the Minister of Diplomacy and Defense. Josep Borrell, Europe’s top representative on foreign affairs and political security will continue to lead in this sphere. In 2019, the Spaniard was appointed to the position by the Commission for a period of five years.
Setting the Bar High
President Macron has set the bar for France’s EU presidency very high. In his new year greeting on Friday evening, he said: “2022 will be a turning point for Europe”.
He aims to make
“Europe a world power, fully sovereign, free to make its own choices and master of its own destiny,“
as he stated on Dec. 9. This ambition has remained unchanged since his election in 2017 and a sovereign Europe means, first and foremost, mastery of its own frontiers.
Reform of the Schengen area will get underway, creating baseline policies for the control of frontiers and a mechanism for emergency support in case of crisis.
We can also expect a revision of the budget rules – the famous Maastricht criteria - which frame European deficits to finance more European investment and growth.
A more sovereign Europe is a Europe with defense strategies. Considerable advances in this area have been made since 2017. The next phase must be more operational, defining European interests and a shared strategy.
Facing up to European Security Challenges
The EU has to face up to challenges in a number of areas, like European security. Tens of thousands of Russian troops are massed against the border with Ukraine. Macron must make Europe’s voice heard in the upcoming US-Russian negotiations on Ukraine and European security. He must also relaunch the Normandy Format.
France is working to calm tensions between Russia and Ukraine. On Dec. 10 Macron had a telephone conversation with President Zelensky during which he reaffirmed his determination to preserve the sovereignty and integrity of Ukrainian territory.
The good relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky make France’s EU presidency a good opportunity for Ukraine.
Both presidents are "convinced of the need to reengage in the negotiations using the Normandy Format with France and Germany as mediators”.
Support from Germany
Emmanuel Macron can count on the support of the new German Chancellor, social democrat Olaf Scholz, who will be chairing the G7 summit in 2022. In his first speech of the new year, Angela Merkel’s successor pleaded for “A more sovereign and stronger Europe”, while the new German Minister of foreign affairs, Annalena Baerbock, declared to the French Press Agency that “France can count on our support”.
“Together we are working towards a more digital, ecological and social Europe with a louder voice in the world,“
tweeted Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Saturday.
A Busy Schedule throughout the Presidency
France’s presidency will be punctuated by some 400 events in France and throughout the Union, including political gatherings, cultural events and public events open to all citizens. Thematic conferences will also be organized in various French cities.
Many events are already scheduled. On Jan. 6 and 7, Macron will host the college of European commissioners in Paris. He will address members of parliament in Strasbourg on the 19th. There will also be an EU-African summit on Feb. 17 and 18.
During March there will be informal meetings on development questions and others on cultural issues. A summit on European defense is planned for the end of March. Finally, in May, the conference on the future of Europe, launched a year earlier, will present its findings.
Professor (h.c.) Olivier VÉDRINE, political scientist, journalist, writer, chief editor of Russian Monitor https://rusmonitor.com/ , member of the Steering Committee of the Association Jean Monnet
