FRANCE’S EUROPEAN VISION

François Hollande | President of the French Republic 02/11/2016

The Bratislava roadmap

1. Border Controls

We have external borders and it is our job to secure them. If we fail to do so, countries would want to revert back to their national borders. Our common property is this external border and to ensure compliance, we must have specific resources allocated to this obligation. These are the coastguards and border guards, who have just been reinforced. Our security also requires us to ensure that those coming to Europe may be recorded and that refugees may be directed to where they are expected, as they seek asylum. We must also ensure, however, that migrants can be returned and resettled in their countries of origin as they cannot claim the right to enter the European Union. If we do not have rules, we will have no respect. If there is no more cohesion between European countries, Europe will cease to exist. Therefore, Europe’s first priority is protection. We must protect the borders and also protect rights, such as the right to asylum. Security has also become a common European task. France has long been proud of its defence, it can deploy forces externally, of its ability to ensure its independence through nuclear deterrence and for being the country with the most strategic autonomy in Europe, a fact that has allowed us to conduct a number of operations and to do so, even on behalf of Europe, once again in Africa recently. Yet I am aware that the greatest service that France could do for Europe is to contribute to our collective construction of defence and security elements. Germany has made inroads in this regard and it is very important that it was able to do so. Just because the UK has decided to leave does not mean that it cannot be part of this process. Yet all European countries must now work together for the defence effort and to know what we can achieve together and what we can bring about through our own capacities in each of our countries.

Protection also includes means to combat terrorism. Terrorism has hit France, but has also hit Europe: Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the UK. We are aware that terrorism will remain a threat, a fact that must lead us to achieve together what cannot be achieved alone. To combat terrorism, we must accept to cooperate, to coordinate our intelligence services, our police forces, our border control. Who better to do that than Europe? In this way, Europe is no longer perceived as a risk, but rather as a shield against a number of threats. This is the first major priority that we must achieve, for Europeans to see Europe as an additional safeguard, providing heightened protection and security.

2. Growth and Unemployment

The second priority is growth and employment. Of course economic policies reflect the decisions that each government must make for its own country. Yet we know that we need some impetus. It is true that some countries which are in surplus should stimulate more. It is also true that some countries which are in deficit – in terms of their current account or budget – must continue their efforts to achieve competitiveness and recovery. This is what France is doing for the moment, and we will see the results. If, however, there is no impetus from Europe, and not simply from the Central Bank’s policy, if there is no shared drive to achieve growth and employment through major investments, not simply for infrastructure, but investments for energy, for the environmental transition, for the digital economy, we will fail to reach the outcome we need. If we want to have European champions operating on a global scale, we must invest more and this will be our second priority.

3. Culture,Education and Research

The third priority is leveraging culture, education, university and research on a European level. Once again, we will always have our own institutions and tools, but if we strive to be the best in the world – and we are in many fields if we look at the Nobel prizes awarded today or yesterday -, if we do not have this drive to be the best in our field, in all fields, Europe will not be able to embody these values. European culture is not merely the sum total of all the cultures of our respective countries. What has ultimately made the European model is our associating it with a social, human space, one of values.

 4. European Identity 

European identity is what sets us apart as makers of the world’s fate. What often bothers me is that in the G20 and the G7, Europe is present, in terms of countries and institutions, but does it have sufficient weighting? Today, and this has been the case for several years now, we are witnessing the return of empires and power blocs. It is most probably the law of history. Empires deemed to be on the decline, extinct, are awakening and taking shape in ways that look strangely like powers prior to the First World War. There are also new emerging economic and demographic powers. Does Europe view itself as a power? Does Europe speak like a power? Europe not only has a claim to power, it is a power that only strives for peace, harmony, development and crisis resolution. We have a specific feature on the world stage. When faced with crises such as Syria, Europe’s voice is rightfully heard calling for great efforts to get humanitarian aid through. What is Europe’s voice? It often provides support to suffering populations. Europe is exemplary. Yet could we do more? Yes, but not country by country, together. When there is a conflict that endures until entire populations are massacred as is the case in Aleppo, couldn’t we, as Europeans, make a greater contribution if we were to decide to settle the great global issues? This would require the use of force, it’s true, and diplomacy that we could pool. It also requires a drive. Do all countries have this drive? I would like to give such countries a warning. There are European countries which believe that the USA will always be there to protect them, to the extent that they purchase their weapons solely from the USA and not from Europeans. This can happen. There are countries which believe that there will always be a protecting force that will shelter them from all types of influence. There are some which believe that there are not concerned by the conflicts in the Middle East, that Africa has no relationship with Europe with the exception of the few migrants who wash up on the Italian coast in such terrible conditions. These countries must be warned. Today we must think globally. Conflicts affect us all.

We must therefore tell these European countries, and I will not stop doing this, that if they do not defend themselves, they will no longer be defended, regardless of who wins the US presidential election. We hope it will be a female winner, without taking sides. There isn’t even a choice to be made between the two. Apart from this, regardless of the (female) president who will be elected in November, the USA is no longer in the same mindset of protection and defence, while remaining our ally within NATO. This question is not raised but Europeans must be aware that when they are the leading global economic power – and they are – they must also be a political power with defence capabilities. European identity is not simply about defending ourselves. It is about defending values and bringing a message to the world. How can this result be achieved? By using the method that Jacques DELORS proposed during his first term as President of the European Commission. A shared objective, a timeframe and a set of measures. This is the spirit that Jean-Claude JUNCKER renewed in his address to the European Parliament and France fully supports this approach.

 5. Institutions

The European Commission must be guardian of our Treaties, but must be much more than that, it must remain a driving force and must always be aware of compromises. Its duty is to put forward proposals and to serve the general interest of Europe. That is the Commission. The European Council. This is where States must come together to strike the right balance. It must be stimulated by the Commission and by the European Parliament which represents European citizens. I do not oppose national parliaments’ right and even duty to have an interest in Europe, on the contrary. We must not fear their desire to look at what is occurring in Europe as we uphold transparency. It would be a mistake to set national parliaments against the European Parliament.