French President Macron Calls for Greater Independence for Europe

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, November 18, spoke in the Bundestag in Berlin on the occasion of the The National Day of Mourning, which is celebrated in Germany to remember all victims of war and tyranny. In his first speech to the German Parliament, Macron called on European countries to strengthen European sovereignty. Europe, in the center of which there is the German-French team, has an obligation and a task to prevent the world slide from plunging into chaos, but to go along a peaceful line”, said Macron. – Therefore, Europe should become stronger and more independent. To protect its citizens from risks and to be able to make decisions about their own future, Europe needs more sovereignty, the French president said. The objectives of the European Union, he said, should be, in particular, the creation of a common defense system, a shared budget and a U-wide asylum agency with common rules. “Paris and Berlin together promote the European idea” The head of the Elysée Palace recalled that France and Germany had been the center of major European conflicts for more than 200 years, after which in 1945 "showed courage" and came to reconciliation, which became the basis for peace on the continent, which has been going on for more than 70 years. Since then, Paris and Berlin have jointly "promoted the European idea, which was a response to the split of the world and made possible the reunification of Germany”. “Today we must find the courage to open a new page”, said the French president. “This is our duty towards Europe and all those who supported the European idea for the past 70 years”. Among the challenges Europe is facing Macron called climate change, migration policy and the digital revolution. The EU is still only cautiously sneaking towards solving these problems, the president said, noting that “we must overcome our taboos” and take decisive measures. “We must act now, because it is our duty towards Europe, towards the whole world”, Macron called. Source: Postimees