French President Emmanuel Macron, who is currently on a two-day state visit to Switzerland, has defended Europe as a “response” to geopolitical crises but admits the continent remains divided over the Israeli-Palestinian war.
This content was published on
November 16, 2023 – 16:27
Accompanied by his Swiss counterpart Alain Berset, Macron presented his vision of Europe to students at the University of Lausanne on Thursday. This was followed by a debate.
Outside the campus, around 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators denounced the position of France and Macron on the Middle East. After a tense moment with the police, relative calm returned.
Inside, a packed amphitheatre of students, who had had to pass draconian checks to gain access, listened to Macron’s speech. There were no flags or banners, and the debate was polite. The only question on the subject was put in writing. “We find it very difficult to understand your positions”, said the moderator, eliciting applause.
+ Macron in Switzerland: ‘you may not know it, but you are also Europeans’
Despite the “position of unity” displayed by the European Union, “there are many differences on this issue between the countries” that make up the EU, said Macron.
As he had done the day before in front of the press, the French president said he “fully assumes” his position, which has drawn criticism, sometimes for opposing reasons, in France and in the region.
“Israel’s right to defend itself does not justify bombing civilians and having children and families killed in these bombardments,” he said. “It cannot be total war, with no rules,” insisted the French president.
+ Macron’s trip to Switzerland confirms ‘bilateral warming’
He called for an “immediate truce leading to a humanitarian ceasefire”, but agreed that “there is no united position, to be honest, at European level”.
On the question of Europe, Swiss President Alain Berset reminded that Switzerland is “already closely linked” to the continent. Without being politically integrated into Europe, Switzerland shares its values, he declared.
More
More
Swiss government decides to draw up negotiating mandate with EU
This content was published on
Nov 8, 2023
The Swiss government wants to draw up a negotiating mandate with the EU. In its view, the exploratory talks with Brussels have been concluded.
Read more: Swiss government decides to draw up negotiating mandate with EU
But while the European project has long been presented as a guarantee of peace on a continent previously plagued by conflict, “war is returning everywhere on our doorstep”, in Ukraine, the Caucasus and the Middle East, said Macron.
“Faced with all the risks – of being torn apart, of a return to nationalism – Europe is the answer,” he insisted. “To think that, in the face of all these challenges, the answer would be to return to nationalism, to conflict between one country and another would be a catastrophe.”
“And so, we have, even more than before the return of war to our soil, a need for unity,” he concluded.
This is a line he is likely to repeat in the coming months in the run-up to the European elections in June, for which his centrist, pro-European camp is currently outpaced in the polls by the far right.
According to Macron, this “unity” will be achieved by enlarging the EU and reforming it so that it operates with 30 or 35 members, but it is also possible for countries such as Switzerland that do not wish to join to sign up to his European Political Community initiative, “concrete projects” and “ambitious association agreements”.
The agreement between Bern and Brussels has been languishing for years, but negotiations look set to be relaunched, and the French president called for them to be speeded up during his two-day state visit on Wednesday and Thursday.
How we work
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to [email protected].
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Articles in this story
More
Bantleon acquires majority stake in Credit Suisse Investment Partners
This content was published on
Jun 3, 2024
The asset manager Bantleon is buying a 62% stake in Credit Suisse Investment Partners (CSIP) from Credit Suisse and UBS.
Read more: Bantleon acquires majority stake in Credit Suisse Investment Partners
More
Swiss army taking part in NATO exercise in Germany
This content was published on
Jun 3, 2024
The Swiss army will be taking part in one of the largest air-operations exercises in Europe, which takes place in a different country each year.
Read more: Swiss army taking part in NATO exercise in Germany
More
Swiss army on site for Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
Jun 3, 2024
Most of the 4,000 members of the armed forces who will be helping with various tasks from June 5 to 19 have now been deployed.
Read more: Swiss army on site for Ukraine peace conference
More
Legal action filed against pioneering Swiss large-scale Alpine solar plant
This content was published on
Jun 3, 2024
Three organisations have submitted an appeal with the administrative court in Bern against the planned large-scale solar plant in Oberwil.
Read more: Legal action filed against pioneering Swiss large-scale Alpine solar plant
More
Swiss bike lobby calls for faster progress on infrastructure
This content was published on
Jun 3, 2024
The government must shift gears to more quickly work towards its goal of doubling bicycle traffic by 2035.
Read more: Swiss bike lobby calls for faster progress on infrastructure
More
Justice minister warns over Swiss parliament protest against climate ruling
This content was published on
Jun 2, 2024
Justice Minister Beat Jans says a possible declaration by the Swiss parliament against the European Court of Human Right (ECHR’s) recent landmark climate ruling against Switzerland could be problematic.
Read more: Justice minister warns over Swiss parliament protest against climate ruling
More
Pandemic treaty to be finalised by 2025, WHO says
This content was published on
Jun 2, 2024
Talks aimed at reaching a global agreement on how to better fight pandemics will be concluded by 2025 or earlier if possible, the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
Read more: Pandemic treaty to be finalised by 2025, WHO says
More
Switzerland backs Biden’s Gaza peace plan
This content was published on
Jun 2, 2024
Switzerland supports a new peace proposal pushed by US President Joe Biden for a hostage agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Read more: Switzerland backs Biden’s Gaza peace plan
More
Parts of Switzerland and Germany waterlogged as heavy rains continue
This content was published on
Jun 2, 2024
Heavy rains continue to affect eastern Switzerland and the centre of the country. Flooding, landslides and damage to infrastructure have been reported. Further rains are forecast on Sunday.
Read more: Parts of Switzerland and Germany waterlogged as heavy rains continue
More
Study: high pollen concentrations increase blood pressure
This content was published on
Jun 1, 2024
A high concentration of pollen can increase blood pressure in allergy sufferers, according to a Swiss study. The effect is much more pronounced in women and people who are overweight.
Read more: Study: high pollen concentrations increase blood pressure
Read more
Next
Previous
More
Swiss-EU relations: Bern prepares for a vacuum
This content was published on
Nov 6, 2023
Bern and Brussels had come to a tacit agreement to clarify their complicated relationship after the Swiss federal elections. What’s the situation now?
Read more: Swiss-EU relations: Bern prepares for a vacuum
Source link : https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/france-s-macron-pleads-for-european-unity-during-swiss-visit/48984900
Author :
Publish date : 2023-11-16 08:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
