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Macron's EU vision will bolster Franco-German axis - Merkel

By Philip Blenkinsop and Julia Fioretti

 

French President Emmanuel Macron and Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite (R) attend a dinner in Tallinn ahead of an informal European Union leaders summit, Estonia September 28, 2017. REUTERS/Virginia Mayo/Pool

 

TALLINN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised French President Emmanuel Macron's ambitions for the European Union on Thursday and said his ideas could be the foundation for "intense" Franco-German cooperation on the future of Europe.

 

Meeting before a summit dinner of EU leaders in Estonia, Merkel and the recently elected Macron are keen for the bloc's founders to drive it forward in the wake of Brexit, though the losses she suffered in winning a fourth term on Sunday mean Europe's leading politician faces uncertain support at home.

 

On Tuesday, Macron outlined bold proposals for a European renewal, calling for the EU to work more closely on defence and migration and for a euro zone budget. He urged his peers to put European vision above national interests, saying in his address that he had "no red lines, only horizons".

 

However, he faced a cautious hearing when he expounded his ideas to fellow EU leaders over dinner in Tallinn. "European horizons drawn. Important to avoid mirages in the desert on the way," Lithuania's no-nonsense President Dalia Grybauskaite tweeted while the discussion was still going on.

 

The informal get-together was arranged on the fly before a "digital summit" on issues ranging from data and cybersecurity to raising more tax from online giants.

 

It has no set agenda and could range widely, even allowing for Prime Minister Theresa May to pitch her ideas on Britain's looming exit from the EU. But diplomats say its focus will be on the fizz of new initiatives, notably from Macron.

 

A French presidential source said France was not trying to impose its ideas on its partners but to show them that they were in their common interest and recognised that some needed time to reflect.

 

"The idea is not about forcing people to give a binary response. France cannot force things," the source said, adding that Paris hoped leaders could agree on a way to work on the ideas in the coming weeks before an October summit in Brussels.

 

The Estonia meeting comes four days after a German election that has raised the prospect of months of tough coalition talks for Merkel, the most influential EU leader, and two days after Macron's rallying cry for deeper integration of national economies.

 

"Macron has stolen the show," one senior EU official said of the dinner debate.

 

Many admire the youthful new French president's energy and oratory after years in which Paris, long a driving force of the EU, has appeared bereft of self-confidence.

 

Merkel told reporters before a meeting with Macron that his ideas could be the basis for "intense" Franco-German cooperation.

 

"As far as the proposals were concerned, there was a high level of agreement between German and France. We must still discuss the details, but I am of the firm conviction that Europe can't just stay still but must continue to develop," she said.

 

However, she may find it hard to commit Berlin to much as she has barely started the process of building what is likely to be a three-way coalition government.

 

Macron is also likely to face polite but firm resistance at the dinner to his calls for a substantial pooling of national budgets in the euro zone and a possible breakaway by the wealthy, western states into a deeper monetary union.

 

The French presidential source recognised that euro zone matters would not be easy and that it might not be possible to have agreement on all items, although Merkel had not on Thursday ruled anything out.

 

Eastern European leaders may caution about the risk of new cleavages on the continent leaving them behind, while there are plenty, like Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a moving spirit behind the Tallinn dinner, who will sound sceptical about more financial burden-sharing before southern neighbours -- including France -- put their own national budgets on a sounder footing.

 

NEW DYNAMIC

 

Brussels diplomats had been a shade nervous about the leaders being left, unscripted, to their own devices at a time when not only Macron but EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker and others have been delivering a stream of ideas. These focus on how the bloc, emerging from a slump and a series of crises, can reinforce itself in the wake of Britain's departure in 2019.

 

Summit chair Donald Tusk was to moderate the discussion and officials say his aim was to get leaders to focus on concrete policies, to avoid a proliferation of "road maps" and divisive proposals.

 

The presence of Theresa May, despite Britain's increasing isolation as it prepares to quit the bloc in 18 months, adds an element of embarrassment which may limit talk on new EU plans.

 

May will arrive with a better sense of whether her keynote major Brexit speech last Friday has succeeded in unblocking talks in Brussels on Britain's divorce package.

 

The chief EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, praised on Thursday a "new dynamic" to Brexit negotiations created by concessions made by May although progress was still not sufficient to allow discussions on a transition period after Brexit or on future trade relations.

 

EU officials say she should not expect direct feedback in Tallinn from the other leaders. But she is likely to talk to some of them individually as she pursues her quest for agreement to open talks on close ties with the bloc after Britain leaves.

 

The EU insists that cannot happen until "significant progress" is made on divorce terms -- notably how much Britain owes. Her speech in Florence has, so far, averted a stalemate, EU negotiators say, opening the way for some positive movement.

 

(Reporting and writing by Alastair Macdonald, additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Julia Fioretti, David Mardiste and Thomas Escritt; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Hugh Lawson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-29

[FreddieRoyle]

 Merkel-Macron The Axis of Liberal Evil, and what an extreme effect Macron has had on French morality in his short term. 

 

 Rapes of children no longer prosecuted in Macron's France, and how could they without first charging the French first lady for the same crime??

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-rape-case-man-avoids-jail-child-consented-prosecutor-a7970811.html

 

Why bother talking about "EU visions" without restoring law and order in Europe? 

[Credo]

58 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

 Merkel-Macron The Axis of Liberal Evil, and what an extreme effect Macron has had on French morality in his short term. 

 

 Rapes of children no longer prosecuted in Macron's France, and how could they without first charging the French first lady for the same crime??

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-rape-case-man-avoids-jail-child-consented-prosecutor-a7970811.html

 

Why bother talking about "EU visions" without restoring law and order in Europe? 

Completely misleading, bordering on outright lying.   This person is NOT being charged with rape, he's being charged with sexual abuse of a minor.   There is no indication that rapes of children won't be prosecuted.

[FreddieRoyle]

1 minute ago, Credo said:

Completely misleading, bordering on outright lying.   This person is NOT being charged with rape, he's being charged with sexual abuse of a minor.   There is no indication that rapes of children won't be prosecuted.

Am I correct in the assumption that if the molested 11 year old was your daughter, you might not think consensual sex with a child was so cool? This is the exact effect having a sexual predator as 1st lady has brought. It's a disgrace, and no point in talking about anything Macron related until this issue of a teacher abusing her position to seduce a child is dealt with properly. 

[Credo]

The topic ISN'T about me.   It's about the vision of the EU.   In your typical deflective style, you pick out ONE small situation to extrapolate an opinion which isn't even related to the topic.   But because you couldn't be bothered to read the entire article here's a quote from it:

 

France's penal code says: "Committing a sexual offence against a minor under the age of 15 without violence, constraint, threat or surprise is punished by five years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros (£65,800)."

 

That law pre-dates Macron, by the way.

 

[simple1]

27 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Am I correct in the assumption that if the molested 11 year old was your daughter, you might not think consensual sex with a child was so cool? This is the exact effect having a sexual predator as 1st lady has brought. It's a disgrace, and no point in talking about anything Macron related until this issue of a teacher abusing her position to seduce a child is dealt with properly. 

The Law enacted was way before Macron came to power. It would be down to a politician to develop alternative legislation for parliament to review and agree / disagree to revise current law.  

 

There are a number of very active trolls on this site, you're one of the most unpleasant

Edited September 29, 2017 by simple1

[FreddieRoyle]

Just now, Credo said:

The topic ISN'T about me.   It's about the vision of the EU.   In your typical deflective style, you pick out ONE small situation to extrapolate an opinion which isn't even related to the topic.   But because you couldn't be bothered to read the entire article here's a quote from it:

 

France's penal code says: "Committing a sexual offence against a minor under the age of 15 without violence, constraint, threat or surprise is punished by five years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros (£65,800)."

 

That law pre-dates Macron, by the way.

 

My point is that without law and order there is nothing. There is no "vision of the EU" when laws are some ephemeral puff, worthless and meaningless. I offered an example as to the moral depravity currently pervasive in France - thanks to Macron and his wife. I can't believe somebody started to defend some guy that raped an 11 year old child, and try to drag the thread off topric to defend child sex molestation.

 Anyway can we at least agree that the return of law and order in France and Europe is of utmost importance, more important than power grabbing whims of Macron and Merkel?

[Laughing Gravy]

I am sure Macron and Merkel will continue to decimate the EU and its members. the shops will be closed 5 times a day in the future and pray time will be called.  Quite funny how some posters here are for the EU but against Islam when the EU is moving towards Islam with its migration tactics.

 

I wish the French and Germans luck with that. I hope the UK has its navy patrols across the channel to ensure it doesn't encroach its land. Sadly it is already happening in the UK and the people seem to be apologist for seeing their culture eroded.

 

Macron talks about one direction but tusk, Juncker and the other loonies in the EU want more integration. Laughable.

[Baerboxer]

Of course she praises him. He is the anointed successor of Hollande.

 

All of them politically correct liberal federalists whose vision of a federal EU state, secular but with special allowances for all those nice Muslim immigrants who shouldn't have to integrate and change their ways, loaded with bureaucracy to the point where elections become meaningless as the bureaucrats won't change anything unless instructed by the "right" parties. An EU where the realities of life are masquerading by copious government KPI's which present the official rosy picture which will only be challenged by those awful fascist racist types.

 

And of course, Germany and France will rule this new promised land.

 

How she and he must love the fact the British are going and they can now get on with their plans without any real opposition.

[Scott]

Post removed.   Continued posting of false reports will earn a suspension.

 

[bert bloggs]

Looks like Germany no longer has to invade France to take over , those in power have surrendered already