Macron defends Europe and his position on the Middle East
Published: Thursday, Nov 16th 2023, 14:50
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French President Emmanuel Macron and Swiss President Alain Berset met with students from the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne on Thursday morning. Among other things, they discussed Europe, the war in the Middle East and the climate.
Around 1400 people, mainly students, had taken their seats in the Amphimax auditorium. They listened peacefully to the two presidents for over an hour and applauded most of their contributions.
Among other things, Macron was asked about his stance on the war in the Gaza Strip. The French President recalled that France condemns "the terrorist attack" by Hamas on October 7 "with the utmost determination" and that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Immediate ceasefire
However, this right "does not justify the bombing of civilians" in the Gaza Strip, Macron emphasized. Martial law and humanitarian law must also be respected. Macron called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" and the "resumption of political dialog" so that the Palestinian people could ultimately have their own state.
For his part, Berset declared that the "escalation" that was driving the conflict "into horror" must be brought to an end. He also recalled that Switzerland was committed to protecting the civilian population, in particular due to its humanitarian tradition.
Europe should be more united
Macron went on to talk about the current social challenges facing Europe. He expressed the impression that the "foundations of Europe have never been so shaken" as they are now. Nevertheless, Europe remains the best answer in the face of all the risks of drifting apart and a return to nationalism.
In order to achieve this, however, the EU must be more united. This includes Europe regaining its "sovereignty" vis-à-vis other major powers, above all the USA and China. In order to regain sovereignty, Europe must, among other things, "invest massively", particularly in technologies related to ecological change or artificial intelligence.
Phasing out coal
Macron also emphasized that Europe must regain "democratic vitality", which is threatened by misinformation and propaganda spread via social networks, among other things.
In the area of climate protection, Macron also called for "significant investments" and urged the large and rich economies to comply with the Paris agreements. An important key factor would be for the emerging economies to phase out coal quickly.
©Keystone/SDA
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