The EU

Macron was channelling his inner Paul Valery here, that "Nous autres,civilisations, nous savons maintenant que nous sommesmortelles," that everything has to die eventually and that includes social organisations and governments.
I think the signs that the writing was on the wall for the EU became apparent during covid. There was no joined-up thinking between the members and no collective cooperation when it mattered most.
Macron is a realist, I think he sounds resigned.
I hate to say this, but sadly for me, without the UK's input, the EU now lacks direction and innovation.

Escaped, yes I think your post is very informed, and .I do agree. Everything does have to die eventually, empires and institutions, sometimes they overreach themselves.

Well we told you so. You didn't listen , so we left.

www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-france-europe-competition-united-states-china-climate-change-defense-security/
What he actually said. Reform is needed. He wasn’t prophesying the end of the EU. I thought he was right, and it worried me as far as the UK is concerned, we are very vulnerable.

It would have been nice to have some influence in the EU. Especially as we have a centre left government and Europe is, sadly, veering towards the far right. And, of course, it was a UK far right politician that was instrumental in persuading people to leave.

Casdon, thank you for the link. i wish I knew how to post links! It was interesting but does mention an existential threat to the institution.

The way I read it was that Macron was concerned that there could be a threat to the Eurozone if they don’t change, but he was concerned about external influence becoming stronger and leaving them behind - it was a rallying call.
It’s easy to do a link, just hover over the title of the news article or whatever that you want to show people, click ‘ copy link’, then go back onto the Gransnet thread and click ‘paste’. If it’s on YouTube, you type the title of the piece into Google, and it will bring up the YouTube link, then you copy and paste that. Good luck.

BevSec What device are you using?

Isn’t Macron arguing for the existence of a better, more improved EU to stave off US and Chinese dominance?
In fact he is arguing that the EU is vital in order to stave this off rather than obsolete.
Wonder how the UK will fare in staving off China or the US?
A now isolated nation suffering additional financial hardships after leaving the EU.
Reckon we’ll be hung out to dry.

Prime Minister tells Ursula von der Leyen ‘we are determined to put this relationship back on a stable, positive footing’

What is he going to give away?

Fishing rights I bet. For what in exchange?
We will have to wait and see.

I didn't hear his speech as a rallying call. OK, so the tone wasn't totally pessimistic, though Macron himself used that word, but it sounded pretty dispirited. Clearly, Macron sees a speedy need for change and reform within the EU so that it doesn't get left behind. How that can be achieved amongst all its members is another matter.
Ironically, wasn't David Cameron told, on several occasions during his negotiations, that the EU would change its policies for no one? Now we suddenly hear that they need to do this, which is quite an about turn within the organisation.
For anyone interested, the whole speech is available to listen to in English. For me, Macron loses some of his impressive oratory skills when speaking in a foreign language, so the delivery was less rousing than if he had been speaking in his mother tongue with all the "citoyens" references.

Petra, I am using an ipad.

Casdon, thank you, .i will give it a try.

Friedgreentomatoes2, .I too had read about possible fishing rights being given to France.

Escaped, I thought it sounded dispirited too. Maybe Macron has had enough of political life, it must be aging. I think our prime ministers look like they have aged 20 years after a few months into the job.

Paul Valery's observation that all organisations die probably applies to the Tory Party.

“We modern civilizations have learned to recognize that we are mortal like the others. We had heard tell of whole worlds vanished, of empires foundered with all their men and all their engines, sunk to the inexplorable depths of the centuries with their gods and laws, their academies and their pure and applied sciences, their grammars, dictionaries, classics, romantics, symbolists, their critics and the critics of their critics. We knew that all the apparent earth is made of ashes, and that ashes have a meaning. We perceived, through the misty bulk of history, the phantoms of huge vessels once laden with riches and learning. We could not count them. But these wrecks, after all, were no concern of ours. Elam, Nineveh, Babylon were vague and splendid names; the total ruin of these worlds, for us, meant as little as did their existence. But France, England, Russia, these names, too, are splendid. And now we see that the abyss of history is deep enough to bury all the world. We feel that a civilization is fragile as a life.”

From Politico:
Talking about trade, the French president said that if China and the U.S. do not respect the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the EU should not respect them either.
“Twenty-five years ago, we thought that [with] China joining WTO it would comply with the laws. It is not the case,” he said, adding that in 2022 the U.S. also decided not to be compliant with WTO rules related to the Fishing Regulation Act.
“And I have a suggestion," he said, "when both U.S. and China do not respect the rules, we should not be the only one in the room to just abide the rules. This doesn't fly.
“I don't suggest trying to become protectionist, this is an awful world, but at least to be fair. With our industry, with our farmers, with our people,” he added."

Do not forget all French 16-18 yearolds must study philossophy. It is compulsory when they do the baccalareat.

This si why he can echo Paul Valery, In my many years of visiting France I have noticed again and again the way that this study of philosophy permeats life in france. In Guide books, introductory videos and film shows, sooner or later there will be a bit of navel gaizing. marcon is obviously homing his plan to be seen as an elder stateman by strating to make these gnomic utterances

BevSec

Escaped, I thought it sounded dispirited too. Maybe Macron has had enough of political life, it must be aging. I think our prime ministers look like they have aged 20 years after a few months into the job.

Indeed, they seem to age overnight, along with some of the former US presidents.

Cossy

BevSec

Escaped, I thought it sounded dispirited too. Maybe Macron has had enough of political life, it must be aging. I think our prime ministers look like they have aged 20 years after a few months into the job.

Indeed, they seem to age overnight, along with some of the former US presidents.

I was thinking exactly the same the last time I saw him on TV
imagine the stress..

Macron is only 46.

Perhaps it's not a good idea to take on a top political rôle at too young an age as the stress of it is ageing.

I don't think Macron is looking too bad for 46, physically at least, though I admit my son would have to age very quickly to look that grey in 6 years' time! I do agree that Macron is showing signs of exhaustion, almost like burn-out. He seems to have lost his drive.
I travel back and forth to France, and in the past year or two I noticed his eyes look tired. His speeches now seem more full of questions than answers, whereas in the past he was always coming up with new ideas, and sounded energised.
The EU in its current form has probably run out of steam and needs to re invent itself. There are some big shoes to fill to make it as successful as before in so many areas.

Here's to China and Russia taking over the world, and wasn't Brexit the gift that keeps on giving to these two?