French Presidency of the EU: a “windfall effect” for Emmanuel Macron

Published on : 12/09/2021 – 13:51

This had not happened since 2008. France will take the 1^er January 2022 the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Follow-up of the recovery plan, application of the Green Pact, Schengen reform, digital regulation, European minimum wage: for six months, Paris will have the heavy task of finding compromises and giving new impetus to these flagship issues.

However, the French room for maneuver will remain limited. While the rotating presidency allows certain issues deemed to be priorities to be put on the table, finding a compromise can take several years. France will also be required to come to terms with a Europe that is deeply divided and still shaken by the migration crisis on the border between Poland and Belarus.

Convinced European, Emmanuel Macron should, Thursday, December 9, explain the importance of this rotating six-monthly presidency at a press conference at the Elysee.

What are the major challenges of this presidency for France? Is it a chance for the head of state four months before the presidential election? Some answers with Patrick Martin-Genier, specialist in European issues and author of “Does Europe have a future?” (ed. Studyrama).

France 24: What is the presidency of the European Union for?

Patrick Martin-Genier: It is a question here of chairing the Council of Ministers and not the European Council of Heads of State and Government. The Council of Ministers is a body which participates in the legislative process with the European Parliament.

France will chair this body until June 30, 2022, which will allow it to insist on certain strategic objectives compatible with the priorities of the European Commission, such as the Green Pact or the construction of a Europe of health. We are not yet out of the crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and Europeans have realized that they should strengthen their skills in the field of health.

What are the priority issues for France?

President Macron intends to move forward on the social aspect of Europe with the idea of ​​a European minimum wage. However, there are disagreements among the 27 because this remains a competence which falls mainly to the unions and the social partners. The work has started, but we won’t be able to do it in six months.

There is also the digital issue. Europe must give as many people as possible access to these tools while fighting against its abuses, in particular by protecting children and privacy. It is a priority which is in line with the agenda of the European Commission.

>> To see: “Digital giants: Europe is trying to tame them”

There should also be a revival on the issue of European defense. Everyone agrees that the EU’s military and diplomatic strategy must be strengthened. These are the priorities of the French presidency, but here again, we must keep in mind that six months goes by very quickly.

In your opinion, will this French presidency also be a good opportunity to assess the capacities of the new Franco-German couple to work together?

Absolutely. We see a relatively inexperienced team arriving in Germany. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, for example, has never held ministerial functions unlike the new Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who was Minister of Finance and has European experience.

>> To see, our Debate: “Olaf Scholz, a new start? Covid-19, ecology, budget, Europe: the challenges to come”

This French presidency will therefore be an opportunity to test this new team and above all to see what the priorities of the new German government are. On the question of the public deficit and European indebtedness, there could be differences with the new Minister of Finance, the liberal Christian Lindner, who is in favor of a return to a very strict orthodoxy on the budgetary plan. The advantage of France is that Emmanuel Macron now has a great experience of Europe.

Should we see in this European calendar a boon for Emmanuel Macron in view of the presidential election in France?

Yes, there is a windfall effect for him with this French management of the European Union and the presidential election at the same time. However, it seems to me that the French are old enough to distinguish between what concerns European projects and what concerns domestic policy. Moreover, it can also be risky for Emmanuel Macron, who will have to face disagreements with his European partners.

This presidency of the EU indeed strengthens the international stature of the President of the Republic compared to other candidates who do not have this experience. That said, democracy is made in such a way that if Emmanuel Macron is re-elected, he will complete this mandate but if another candidate wins, he would immediately take over with the diplomatic services in Brussels and the General Secretariat for European Affairs in Paris. Everything will be ready, regardless of the candidate who will be elected in April 2022.