French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the annual ambassadors’ conference at the Élysée Palace in Paris today.
There he called on Europe to be a “trade and economic power” with independent tools that can fend of US extraterritorial sanctions. Macron warned that “multilateralism is going through a major crisis which collides with all our diplomatic activity, above all because of U.S. policy.” And, “the partner with whom Europe built the new post-World War order appears to be turning its back on this shared history.”
He also added that while the current system is imperfect, “unilateralism and trade war is the worst response”. And, “we can build a fairer and more efficient system. I think we should not give in to one’s hegemony and everyone’s division”
On Brexit, Macron said “France wants to maintain a strong, special relationship with London but not if the cost is the European Union’s unravelling.” While Brexit is a “sovereign choice, which we must respect”, he emphasized that “it can’t come at the expense of the European Union’s integrity.”
