HAGUE (AFP)-In a speech at The Hague, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of his vision of a new era of “European sovereignty” where the continent can choose its own partners and “design its own destiny”.
Macron’s speech during a state visit to the Netherlands drew attention after he said in an interview that Europe should not be a “supporter” of Washington or Beijing regarding Taiwan.
President Macron and his wife Brigitte made their first state visit to the Netherlands in 23 years by a French president and were greeted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands upon arrival in Amsterdam.
The French leader stood alongside the Dutch royal family outside the royal palace as the band played the Marseillaise, France’s national anthem. A few people cheered. But amidst all the glitz and ceremony, attention is focused on comments on President Macron’s visit to China last week.
On Tuesday, the Élysée Palace claimed that the president had never asked Europe to maintain an “equidistant distance” from the United States and China.
“The United States is our ally and we share common values.
President Macron will deliver a speech in English on Tuesday afternoon at his Netherlands Nexus Institute in The Hague on “European sovereignty” on security and economic issues.
He will use his speech to present “principles of economic security” against China and the United States amid European concerns over US climate subsidies.
The speech comes after Macron said in an interview with media including French business daily Les Echos and Politico that “we don’t want to depend on others on critical issues”, citing energy, artificial intelligence and social networks.
‘Brain death’
Macron’s comments in the same interview on Taiwan, that Europe risks entanglement in “crises that aren’t ours” and should “depend less on the Americans” in matters of defence, have raised questions, like his past remarks on Ukraine.
“The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction,” Macron said after his three-day state visit to Beijing.
His comments were criticised on both sides of the Atlantic.
US Senator Marco Rubio said on Twitter that “we need to find out if Emmanuel Macron speaks for Europe.”
“A brain death has occurred somewhere, no doubt,” said the director of the Polish Institute of International Relations (PISM), Slawomir Debski, referring to the words used by the French president to describe NATO in 2019. But the White House said on Monday it was “confident” in its relationship with France despite Macron’s comments.
During his two-day state visit to the Netherlands, President Macron held a state dinner with the royal couple, admired the coveted Johannes Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, and visited Marc Rutte on a canal boat to his Chancellor.
Following the speeches, Paris and The Hague will sign a “pact for innovation” on Wednesday, which will focus on cooperation in the fields of semiconductors, quantum physics and energy.
France and the Netherlands will also work to conclude a defense agreement by 2024.
The French president’s domestic political issues also threaten to disrupt the visit, with a new strike against his pension reform plans scheduled for Thursday.
