France and its President Emmanuel Macron are gearing up for their moment at the centre stage of European politics. The French president gave a major speech this week outlining his priorities, as France takes over the Presidency of the European Council for six months from January to June of 2022.
From Europe’s borders to its economy, defence to digital, climate policy to workers' rights and more, it's an ambitious agenda. However, this all comes as France heads into a presidential election in April 2022 – right in the middle of the EU Council presidency.
Our guest Manon Aubry, co-president of the Left Group at the European Parliament, tells FRANCE 24 that for this reason, the French presidency should have been postponed – in her view, the election will ultimately "weaken the role of France within the EU".
On the key issue of whether to strengthen EU defence capabilities, Aubry explains why she and her party support France leaving NATO: "If you want true co-operation and peace strategy at a global level, there's one framework, the United Nations, and that's what should be used instead of putting together European defence with the United States' defence strategy: which I think is a way to weaken the EU."
On the French presidential election itself, Aubry insisted that her party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon would not take part in a left-wing primary – as proposed by the Socialist Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, herself a candidate for the presidency in 2022.
None of the left-wing candidates are currently polling in double figures – but between them attract at least 20 percent of the vote. Yet Aubry dismisses the idea of a united left-wing candidate, saying that for her, "There would be no sense in coming together around lowest common denominator policies that would be so weak that it would be unable to convince people".
Produced by Georgina Robertson, Perrine Desplats, Sophie Samaille, Isabelle Romero and Céline Schmitt.
