Wednesday

27th Sep 2023

France's Macron issues Brexit warning

  • Macron met with British PM Theresa May to polish his international stature. (Photo: Reuters)

French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron tried to polish his international stature on Tuesday (21 February) with a surprise visit to London where he met the British prime minister and finance minister.

Speaking in front of 10 Downing Street after meeting PM Theresa May, he warned against "undue advantages" for the UK after Brexit and said "an exit is an exit".

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"Brexit cannot lead to a kind of optimisation of Britain's relationship with the rest of Europe," he said.

 He added that he encouraged British "talented people" to come to work to France.

“I want banks, talents, researchers, academics and so on," he said, insisting that "France and the European Union are a very attractive space now".

At a meeting for the London French community also attended Nick Clegg, a former Liberal-Democrat leader and deputy PM, Macron urged his countrymen to come back to France to do business. 



Macron, a 39-year old former banker and finance minister, is one of the main contenders for the French presidential election in April, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon.

A leader of his own political movement, En Marche [Marching forward], which he launched less than a year ago, Macron is campaigning as a liberal centrist who will renew the political system.

"I claim inexperience and political immaturity," he told his supporters in London, adding that in France, "political experience is political inefficiency [and] favours for friends".

Macron is also one the few candidates expressing positive views about the EU.

"We need Europe," he said in London, adding that France could "not triumph without Europe". He said Europe needed Britain to be involved in a common security policy with the EU even after Brexit.

But Macron, who will unveil his presidential platform next week, is considered by many as thin on ideas and proposals.

They say that he is benefiting only from the collapse of the left, with led the current president Francois Hollande to renounce running again, and from the weakness of the right, with Fillon embroiled in an embezzlement scandal involving his wife and children.

Macron's visit to London, designed as an operation to show that he can be influential abroad, came as the latest poll showed that he was losing ground to Le Pen and Fillon, losing five points to 17-18.5 percent of voting intention.

According to the poll published for L'Express magazine and BFM TV, Le Pen is ahead in voting intention in the first round, with 27-28 percent, and Fillon second at 20-21 percent.

Narrowing gap

In the run-off, Le Pen would be beaten by both Fillon - with 56 percent against 44 - and Macron - 59-41. But the gap between the far-right leader and her contenders is narrowing in polls, despite a police investigation into alleged fake job contracts she signed in the European Parliament.

Many people are also still undecided. According to the poll, 24 percent of respondents refused to say what they would vote in case of a run-off between Le Pen and Macron; 32 percent in case of a Le Pen-Fillon vote.

Another problem for Macron could arise on Wednesday, if centrist politician Francois Bayrou, who summoned the press in the afternoon, announced a presidential bid. Both men would compete for centre-left and centre-right votes.

While Macron was is London, Le Pen was in Lebanon for a two-day visit, also in an operation to demonstrate her international clout.



She met president Michel Aoun and prime minister Saad Hariri but refused to meet the grand mufti because she was asked to wear a veil.

“I have explained to president Aoun the true meaning of my political struggle,” she said. “It is a struggle for freedom and sovereignty which I believe is something that resonates particularly in Lebanon."

French police raid Le Pen's party office

Officers raid the National Front headquarters near Paris over allegations that leader Marine Le Pen used fake EU parliament contracts to pay her personal staff.

Macron meets Merkel, says France must reform

The independent liberal candidate to the presidential election said in Berlin that France must reform itself if it wants to remain close to Germany and play a role in Europe.

Column

Will Poles vote for the end of democracy?

International media must make clear that these are not fair, democratic elections. The flawed race should be the story at least as much as the race itself.

Latest News

  1. EU and US urge Azerbijan to allow aid access to Armenians
  2. EU warns of Russian 'mass manipulation' as elections loom
  3. Blocking minority of EU states risks derailing asylum overhaul
  4. Will Poles vote for the end of democracy?
  5. IEA says: Go green now, save €11 trillion later
  6. The failure of the Just Energy Transition Fund in South Africa
  7. EU and G7 tankers facilitating Russian oil exports, report finds
  8. EU trade chief in Beijing warns China of only 'two paths' forward

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us