Macron: UK and France must save Europe [View all]

Source: Politico



“Our two countries have a special responsibility for the security of the continent,” the French president said in an address to both Houses of Parliament.

July 8, 2025 6:51 pm CET By Esther Webber and Clea Caulcutt

LONDON — ...................

“Our two countries have a special responsibility for the security of the continent,” Macron said. “What is at stake today in Europe is our ability to shoulder the responsibility to ensure our continent’s security ourselves to a greater extent.”

The French president has long called on Europe to seek more “strategic autonomy” and become less reliant on the United States, especially when it comes to European defense — a push that has times excluded the U.K.

But Macron’s call for Europe to “derisk” may fall on deaf ears in Westminster, with the U.K. still firmly attached to the special relationship with Washington under Donald Trump.

“We need to derisk our society and economies … We need to derisk excessive dependencies towards the U.S. and China,” he told lawmakers. Macron, however, added that he didn’t put China and the United States in the same basket. ...........................



Read more: https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-uk-france-must-save-europe/

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State Visit By The President Of The French Republic – Day One
The French president has long called on Europe to seek more “strategic autonomy."
| POOL photo by Alastair Grand/Getty Images