French Foreign Minister: “Europe must see itself as a power again” | EUROtoday

STéphane Séjourné, 39, has been European and overseas minister within the cupboard of French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal since January. In September 2022, the long-time adviser to President Emmanuel Macron has already taken over the chairmanship of the French ruling celebration Renaissance.

WELT: Mr. Séjourné, French President Emmanuel Macron warned in a keynote speech that Europe is “mortal” and its future relies upon solely on choices that should be made now. Is Germany prepared for Macron's imaginative and prescient of a typical pursuit of European energy?

Stéphane Séjourné: The battle in Ukraine exhibits very clearly that we stay in a time of nice geopolitical upheaval. Hostile states wish to divide the world into two blocs once more. Macron has highlighted these risks for Europe. He will focus on his solutions intensively with the German federal authorities as a way to deliver positions nearer collectively.

WELT: Where do the positions differ from one another?

Stayed: Germany shares the basic objective of European independence. How this needs to be achieved intimately is at present up for debate. As in each part of European development, France and Germany share a shared accountability to set objectives and act rapidly and decisively. We should make progress, for instance, on the duty of reworking the European Union right into a financial savings and funding union.

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WELT: When Macron put ahead visions for a robust Europe in his first Sorbonne speech in 2017, they had been initially ignored by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. How assured are you – additionally in view of current irritations in German-French relations – that issues might be totally different this time?

Stayed: That the connection has weakened is your interpretation. In the previous, Germany and France have applied formidable initiatives such because the European restoration plan throughout the corona pandemic. And the preliminary reactions to Macron's newest speech had been optimistic, each from Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. May might be a excessive level in German-French relations. Emmanuel Macron will come to Germany for a state go to. Debates on the Sorbonne speech will happen within the run-up to a German-French Council of Ministers.

WELT: In it, Macron as soon as once more calls on the Europeans to make extra efforts in protection coverage. What particular measures do you plan?

Stayed: We completely want standardization for weapon methods at European stage. The goal should be interoperability, i.e. that navy materials can be utilized by all states with none issues. Europe should change into the world market chief on this space. This can be the philosophy behind Macron's different proposals, be it within the meals and well being sectors or in industrial coverage. Europe should see itself as an influence once more and free itself from dependencies.

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French President

WELT: There is already a system below NATO auspices for the standardized use of weapons. Why is one other European customary wanted?

Stayed: It isn’t about creating competing requirements, as these are the identical armies working inside an EU or NATO framework. Rather, it’s in regards to the interoperability of all items of kit. This could be an essential step in strengthening NATO's European pillar. The improvement of the European protection trade shouldn’t be a alternative, however relatively a complement. We must take out a second life insurance coverage coverage alongside NATO. In precept, each 4 years we rely on the choice of 250,000 American voters in swing states. Of course, the United States stays shut allies, however we should be capable to develop our personal sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

WELT: Strategic autonomy – Macron's core demand in his Sorbonne speech in 2017 – is extra advanced from a German perspective. Integration into NATO and cooperation with the USA are seen as central to the safety of the Federal Republic, particularly because it doesn’t have nuclear weapons as a deterrent has. Can Germany depend on being defended by French nuclear weapons in an emergency?

Stayed: Nuclear deterrence is seen in France as a treasured asset that serves our democracy and collective safety. For President Macron, defending France's important pursuits by way of nuclear weapons additionally has a European dimension.

WELT: Will France enable cooperation on its nuclear weapons on the European stage?

Stayed: It is solely the accountability of the President to make clear what, if any, place he might have on this difficulty.

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“Permanent neutrality”

WELT: How can Europe change into extra impartial from the USA with regard to the Ukraine battle? The most not too long ago agreed US assist package deal for Ukraine amounting to 61 billion {dollars} solely took place with nice effort and might be the final of its type in the meanwhile.

Stayed: The sign despatched by this package deal is essential as a result of it expresses long-term assist for Ukraine. But I’ve little doubt that the overwhelming majority within the EU are nonetheless keen to assist. France and Germany have made an enormous contribution to this. To hold it that means, each nation in Europe should fulfill its goal and we should improve our European protection trade.

WELT: When it involves arms deliveries to Ukraine, France isn’t taking a pioneering position, however is lagging behind its allies. Why does it ship comparatively little?

Stayed: It's not truthful to say we're not trailblazers. For instance, we had been the primary to ship Western tanks to the Ukrainians. We equip them with capabilities which can be crucial to them – like Scalp missiles. How excellently these work turns into clear in view of the numerous injury inflicted on the Russian military in Crimea.

WELT: According to surveys by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (ifw), France is in fifth place in the case of assist deliveries to Ukraine, behind the USA, Canada and Great Britain and in fifth place in comparison with the EU. Measured by gross home product, France falls to seventeenth place when it comes to assist.

Stayed: These rankings don’t take all knowledge under consideration. Above all, they don’t mirror the basic significance for Ukraine of the availability of Scalp missiles, which permit Ukraine to strike in depth.

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WELT: With this argument, the French authorities repeatedly countered calls for from the German Chancellor to ship extra. He in flip refuses at hand over Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. How hopeful are you that Scholz will change his thoughts?

Stayed: That could be a wonderful thought. However, European international locations are in another way nicely positioned and are uncovered to nationwide constraints. I don't need them to compete towards one another. France supplies navy materials that Germany doesn’t launch – and vice versa.

WELT: France's Defense Minister Sébastien Lécornu and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius signed a declaration of intent on Friday to develop joint battle tanks. Instead of 2030 as initially deliberate, the primary tanks shouldn’t be prepared to be used till 2040 to 2045 on the earliest. Given Ukraine's wants and empty shares in each international locations, isn't this too late?

Stayed: We are constructing the tank of the long run to switch our present Leclerc and Leopard tanks that armies are at present outfitted with. This has nothing to do with the battle in Ukraine. But it is vitally essential for the long run. We shouldn’t underestimate this progress; only a few years in the past many such initiatives failed. Even greater than the will for a brand new tank, this additionally exhibits a brand new mind-set: the desire to change into an influence within the subject of European protection.

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WELT: Macron additionally requires a European missile protection protect. A type of Iron Dome for Europe?

Stayed: I don't assume this analogy is correct. What is feasible in a small nation like Israel can’t be carried out on a complete continent like Europe. The risk scenario can be not the identical. The president has known as for a rethink of the present stability of the three main “strategic functions” – nuclear deterrence, deep strike and missile protection.

WELT: Why is France not taking part within the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) initiated by Germany for a typical missile protection system? 21 international locations have already joined, and Poland not too long ago introduced that it want to be a part of.

Stayed: The German venture goals for European companions to buy German tools, American Patriots and Israeli Arrow missiles. France has its personal air protection tools and there’s neither the intention nor the necessity to buy this overseas tools. This doesn’t imply that we’re stopping our companions from strengthening their air protection, fairly the other. But we encourage them to purchase European materials in the long run. I’m pondering specifically of the SAMP/T NG system (air protection system developed by France and Italy, editor's observe), which might be accessible shortly and whose efficiency might be wonderful. By turning into dependent, Europeans are getting ready for the issues of tomorrow.

WELT: In order to keep away from dependencies within the vitality sector, France is counting on the enlargement of nuclear energy. Does Macron nonetheless see alternatives for cooperation with Germany after Germany's nuclear phase-out?

Stayed: In France, the phase-out of fossil fuels is thru nuclear vitality and renewable energies. In order to speed up this transformation course of all through Europe, we wish to develop the nuclear alliance. We are open to cooperation with the Federal Republic – however it is a purely German debate.