Macron to renew plea for closer Europe

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PARIS, Aug 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – With nine months to go before European
parliament elections, France’s President Emmanuel Macron will on Monday renew
his plea for a more integrated EU, against a global wave of nationalism.

Welcomed as a saviour of the European Union on his election last year, the
French leader has seen his ambitious plans diluted as the 28 members’
interests diverge, with challenges such as Brexit and the ongoing tussle over
immigration into the bloc.

In a speech to ambassadors in Paris on Monday Macron is expected to
underscore some of his signature projects, such as a single eurozone budget,
a European defence force, the taxation of tech giants and a common policy on
migrants.

But some of his main ideas clash with new populist governments in Eastern
Europe and Italy, with right wing and upstart populist parties on the rise in
countries across the region.

“(Since last year) the world has changed a lot with the upsurge of
nationalism and the crisis of multinationalism. We must be even more dynamic
in order to adapt to these developments,” said advisors at the Elysee Palace.

Macron has grappled with a damaging domestic scandal over a top aide that
has distracted from his push for constitutional reform.

And internationally the French leader, lauded by supporters for his fresh
approach, has yet to reap many rewards from his professed friendship with US
President Donald Trump.

The approach has not prevented a burgeoning trans-Atlantic trade war,
while Trump has also sought to scupper a landmark deal curbing Iran’s nuclear
programme and has blasted European nations over their spending on NATO.

“We are more in negotiations on procedures, like the eurozone budget, and
less in the grand leap forward,” said Claire Demesmay, an analyst at the
German Institute of Foreign Policy.

– ‘Cannot lead alone’ –

In Europe, the issue of immigration has seen Hungary, Poland and now Italy
pushing Eurosceptic and anti-immigration policies.

Migration is a hot-button issue in Italy, where hundreds of thousands of
people have arrived since 2013 fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the
Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Under EU rules people must seek asylum in their country of arrival, but
Rome has increasingly barred boats from docking at its ports, forcing other
nations to take some of those on board.

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday said that his
country was prepared to cut its EU contributions over the issue.

With Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel also weakened by political crisis,
Paris is now seeking a “progressive arc” of allies.

“When Macron was elected, everyone believed that the wave of populism was
going to recede, that with Merkel he was going to form a formidable
partnership that nothing could resist,” said Manuel Lafont-Rapnouil, of the
European Council on Foreign Relations.

In a bid to drum up wider support, Macron will embark on a mini-European
tour on Tuesday, with a three day visit to Denmark and Finland.

Francois Heisbourg, President of the International Institute for Strategic
Studies in London, predicted that the bloc’s “big compromises” would be made
by the end of 2019, and said it was imperative that Macron establish a
dialogue with Rome.

“He is the only leader in Europe today. Angela Merkel has limited room for
manoeuvre and Europe can only move forward if France and Germany work
together. Macron cannot be the only leader,” he said.