France has a special position: We are Continental Europe's nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This special role, though, only makes sense if France fills it as a member state of the European Union. France cannot play this role alone, it must be seen as a part of Europe. I have always insisted on that.
Emmanuel MacronI read each evening, at night and whenever possible during the day when I am traveling. I have always read.
Emmanuel MacronSince 2005, when the French and the Dutch voted "no" on a constitution for Europe, nobody has developed a real project for the EU. And certainly not France. If there were ideas, they came from Wolfgang Schรคuble or Joschka Fischer, and these German ideas were downright quashed by France. I want to put an end to that.
Emmanuel MacronPerhaps I am following in the footsteps of Franรงois Mitterrand, who really did want to shape Europe. My predecessors, by contrast, thought it was best to say nothing at all and to keep all their options open. That may sound like a tactical approach, but perhaps it was simply because they didn't have any ideas for Europe at all.
Emmanuel MacronI hope that Angela Merkel can become the chancellor of the rebuilding of Europe, in close cooperation with the role that I will play in the process.
Emmanuel Macron