The challenge has been mentioned numerous times, but never described as a top priority for the upcoming European term. While the presidency had been trying to build up momentum for a few days around this speech designed to "guide and influence the European Union's next strategic agenda," French President Emmanuel Macron spoke only in passing about climate and environmental issues at the Sorbonne University, in Paris, on Thursday, April 25.
"We have heard a lot of criticism, particularly of the Green Deal [a package of legislative measures voted on since 2019] (...) But Europe is the only political area in the world that has planned its transitions," he said, without offering any new proposals for achieving the 55% drop in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, the stated objective of the 27 member states.
In a large auditorium, Macron outlined climate issues by integrating them with other challenges, including energy, competitiveness, and production. After taking action to "overcome our dependence on Russian fossil fuels," the EU must now pursue the "deployment of renewable energies and [the] deployment of nuclear power" to build "an atomic Europe."
"The sooner we make the transition, the sooner we will regain this competitiveness," he said while calling for investing in electricity interconnections across Europe. "This is what will make Europe a true electricity powerhouse (...) a Europe where carbon-free electrons can freely circulate (...) whether it is produced using renewable energy or nuclear power."
No new idea
While extensively referring to "green" technologies and industry, Macron also hoped that Europe would one day be "the first continent with zero plastic pollution." He also sang the praises of biodiversity, "a treasure that we have inherited and that we are going to pass on." Although he did make some headway on a subject eagerly awaited by those involved in the climate cause – funding, which he said would require a "major collective budgetary investment plan" and even a monetary policy incorporating a "decarbonization policy" – he did not unveil any new ideas.
This interweaving of climate issues with other challenges reflects the analysis developed by Macron and his associates within the French political arena. For several months now, and particularly since the agricultural crisis at the beginning of the year, the Elysée palace has taken the view that it is crucial to highlight the economic opportunities arising from ecological transition while mentioning constraints as little as possible so as not to fuel far-right populism.
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