Macron promotes Europe in Lausanne and defends Middle East position
Published: Thursday, Nov 16th 2023, 18:50
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On the second day of his state visit to Switzerland, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Lausanne and Geneva together with President Alain Berset. At the University of Lausanne, he campaigned for a strong Europe and defended his position on the Israeli counter-attack on the Gaza Strip. Around 200 students had previously protested against Macron's visit in Lausanne.
Some demonstrators were equipped with cooking pots and Palestinian flags. They marched through the streets chanting "Israel murderer, Macron accomplice" and "Free Free Palestine", among other things, while carrying banners reading "Stop Genocide".
Macron reminded the students at the university that France condemns "the terrorist attack" by Hamas on October 7 "with the utmost determination" and that Israel has the right to defend itself.
However, this "does not justify the bombing of civilians" in the Gaza Strip, Macron emphasized. Martial law and humanitarian law must also be respected. The French President called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" and the "resumption of political dialog" so that the Palestinian people can 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.
Macron: Europe die beste Antwort
Macron went on to talk about the current social challenges facing Europe. He emphasized 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 gain sovereignty, Europe must "invest massively", particularly in technologies related to ecological change or artificial intelligence.
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.
Completion 100 meters underground
The French President concluded his visit to Switzerland on Thursday in Meyrin in the canton of Geneva with a meeting with Fabiola Gianotti, Director General of the Cern Nuclear Research Center.
Among other things, Macron and Berset discussed the construction of a new underground particle accelerator by 2040, which, like the current Large Hadron Collider (LHC), would be located on the Swiss-French border. It would have a circumference of 90 kilometers, almost three times the size of the current one, and would be considerably more powerful.
The two presidents also went 100 meters underground, where the LHC, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, is located.
In the early evening, the French presidential plane with Macron and his wife Brigitte left Geneva for Paris.
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