France and the UK can 'save Europe' by working together, Macron says
On a state visit that mixed royal pageantry with tough political talks on Ukraine and migration, Macron said Europe must strengthen its economy and defences and reduce its dependence "on both the US and China."
Macron's three-day trip, at the invitation of King Charles, is the first state visit to the UK by a European Union head of state since Brexit and a symbol of the British government's desire to reset relations with the bloc after its withdrawal from the EU in 2020.
Macron addressed members of both houses of the UK Parliament where he said the two countries represent "a world order based on law, justice and respect for territorial integrity, an order that is today being attacked on a daily basis."
"The United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference," Macron said, adding that "we will save Europe by our example and our solidarity."
He said that even though Britain has left the EU, "the United Kingdom cannot stay on the sidelines. Because defence and security, competitiveness, democracy — the very core of our identity — are connected across Europe as a continent."
Tackling irregular migration with humanity
Macron told Parliament that the UK and France have a duty to tackle irregular migration with "humanity, solidarity and firmness."
An effective solution can only be reached "by continuing to work with the countries of departure and transit of global migration routes," Macron added.
He pointed out that the "Hope for a better life is legitimate" but that neither country could allow criminal gangs to "flout" the rules and exploit people.
Britain receives fewer asylum-seekers than many countries in the Mediterranean, but thousands of migrants each year use northern France as a launching point to reach the UK, either by stowing away in trucks or in small boats across one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The UK has struck a series of deals with France over the years to increase patrols of beaches and share intelligence in an attempt to disrupt the smuggling gangs.
But those efforts have only had a limited impact.
According to the UK government, there were 44,125 irregular crossings via the English Channel in the year ending March 2025, a 14% increase compared to the previous year.
The Migration Observatory at Oxford University reported that from January to May 2025, there were approximately 14,800 small boat crossings, marking the highest number ever recorded during that period.
Macron said the leaders would try "to fix today what is a burden for our two countries."
Keeping Ukraine in focus
Starmer and Macron have worked closely together to rally support for Ukraine, though they have taken contrasting approaches to US President Donald Trump, with Macron more willing to challenge the American president than Starmer.
Britain and France have led efforts to form an international peacekeeping force for Ukraine to reinforce a future ceasefire with European troops and equipment and US security guarantees.
Trump has shown little enthusiasm for the idea, however, and a ceasefire remains elusive.
British officials say the 'coalition of the willing' idea is alive and well, with Macron and Starmer due to join an international videoconference on Thursday to discuss planning for the force.
Macron said the coalition was a sign that 'Europeans will never abandon Ukraine – never.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
3 hours ago
- LeMonde
Macron calls on EU to 'defend European interests' in US tariff talks
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, July 12, condemned US President Donald Trump's threat to impose 30% tariffs on the European Union, calling on the bloc to "resolutely defend European interests." US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Mexico and the EU would be slapped with 30% tariffs starting on August 1, raising the stakes in already tense negotiations with two of the largest US trading partners. Expressing France's "very strong disapproval" of the announcement, Macron called on the bloc to "step up the preparation of credible countermeasures by mobilizing all instruments at its disposal" if the two sides failed to reach an agreement by August 1. "France fully supports the European Commission in the negotiation that will intensify to reach a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1, so that it reflects the respect that trade partners such as the European Union and the United States owe each other," he wrote on social media. Earlier Saturday, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen hit out at the new tariffs threatened by Trump, but said the EU still sought a deal to avert the measures. 'Unfair deal' Meanwhile, Mexico slammed Trump's latest tariff threat as an "unfair deal," according to a government statement. "We mentioned at the table that it was an unfair deal and that we did not agree," the Mexican economy and foreign ministries said in a joint statement. Mexico is already in negotiations seeking an alternative to tariffs that would protect businesses and jobs on both sides of the border, the ministries added, saying they hope to avoid the duties. President Claudia Sheinbaum, whom Trump often refers to favorably, expressed confidence Saturday that a deal would be reached. "We are going to reach an agreement with the US government," Sheinbaum said during a public event hours after Trump's social media post announcing the elevated tariffs. She said the talks in Washington would allow Mexico to be in a "better position" by August 1.
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Impact of US tariffs varies across European Union
Ireland, with a major pharmaceutical industry, is in the front line along with Germany, for whom the United States is a major outlet for its cars, steel and machine tools. France is less exposed, even if it does have aeronautics, food, wine and luxury goods companies that risk losing markets. The EU as a whole has an annual trade surplus with the United States of $235.6 billion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which reports to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Only China has a higher amount. Ireland, Europe's lab Ireland has the largest surplus among EU members, at $86.7 billion. That is largely due to the presence of major American pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson. They all set up in Ireland to benefit from a 15 percent corporate tax, compared to 21 percent in the United States. These companies can thus host their patents in Ireland and sell on the American market, where drug prices are traditionally higher than in the rest of the world. Ireland also hosts most of the European headquarters of American tech giants, such as Apple, Google and Meta, also attracted by the attractive Irish tax system. Overall, pharmaceuticals account for 22.5 percent of EU exports to the United States, according to Eurostat, with many major players having announced major investments in the United States. - Germany, the industrial powerhouse - Germany, the EU's largest economy, is under particular pressure due to its dependence on exports: it has a surplus of $84.8 billion with the United States, thanks to its large automobile, chemical, steel and machine industries. The United States accounts for 23 percent of the revenue of Mercedes Benz. While some of that is accounted for by SUVs manufactured in the United States and exported, they risk being hit by any tariff reprisals from the EU. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) reacted promptly to Donald Trump's announcements on Saturday, calling on the EU and the United States to "quickly find solutions and to avoid an escalation". Italy, France in the second line Italy and France, with surpluses of $44 billion and $16.4 billion respectively, according to US statistics (French data says the surplus is much smaller), would appear to be less affected. But some sectors are heavily exposed. The food and wine industries would be particularly affected in both countries, as is also the case for Spain. A 30-percent tariff would be a "catastrophe" for the French wine and spirits sector, Jerome Despey, head of the viticulture branch of the FNSEA union, said Saturday. Coldiretti, Italy's main agricultural organisation, said Saturday that tariffs of 30 percent would cost US consumers and Italian food producers some $2.3 billion. Like Germany, Italy is also concerned about its automotive sector. Franco-Italian manufacturer Stellantis (particularly Fiat and Peugeot) has suspended its forecasts for the year due to these uncertainties. Exposed French sectors also include aeronautics and luxury goods. LVMH, the world's largest luxury conglomerate, makes a quarter of its sales in the United States. About a fifth of France's exports to the United States come from the aerospace industry, much of it from Airbus.
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
How Trump adapts his tariff threats for economic, diplomatic and ideological ends
Donald Trump added the European Union to his list of countries facing the threat of new customs duties on Saturday, July 12. In a message posted on Truth Social, his private social network which has become the primary communication channel for the White House, the US president stated that products imported from the European Union would be subject to a 30% surcharge if no agreement is reached that meets his expectations – specifically, a "complete open" European market for American goods. On July 7, Trump acknowledged that his commercial threats had yet to yield results and, by executive order, postponed the deadline for implementing the unilateral tariff increases – originally announced on April 2 and already delayed once – to August 1. These repeated delays have earned the US president an unflattering acronym: TACO, for Trump Always Chickens Out. Markets, for their part, were largely unmoved when the White House occupant again brandished the threat of tariff hikes in letters sent to major US trading partners, including South Korea and Japan, on July 8. After Canada on July 10, Mexico was the next recipient of these messages posted on Truth Social on Saturday. While the United States' northern neighbor was threatened with a 35% increase in import taxes, a 30% hike was directed at its southern partner. In both cases, the president mixed often questionable economic arguments with considerations unrelated to trade.
