Paris (AFP)

Three days ahead of a tense European council, between an uncertain Brexit, the rejection of the French candidate-commissioner, the Turkish attack in Syria and American commercial threats, Emmanuel Macron consults all over the place to tighten ranks with his partners.

In this "worrying international moment", Europe "can not afford the luxury of vain quarrels, little quarrels" and "we can not allow ourselves division, blindness or weakness," he said. Sunday evening welcoming Angela Merkel for a dinner at the Elysee.

After the German Chancellor, the Head of State receives Monday the future President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he has not discussed since the European Parliament has dismissed Sylvie Goulard, his candidate for the Commission , which was to inherit the vast portfolio of the Internal Market.

He intends to ask for explanations on the negative vote of Parliament, while he had received, according to his entourage, the future president of the Insurance Commission on the agreement of major parliamentary groups to this candidacy.

Emmanuel Macron wants above all to preserve the huge wallet that had been tailored for Sylvie Goulard.

He is also worried that the whole of Mrs von der Leyen's draft reforms, which Paris has largely contributed to drawing up, would be blocked by an uncontrollable European Parliament, hostile to French projects and without a positive majority - somehow on the way to " westminsterisation, "says the Elysee, referring to the British parliament stuck in Brexit.

"I want together we can work with the Chancellor and the future President on the establishment of a strong European Commission, based on a solid majority in the European Parliament, which we collectively have the responsibility to build and reinforce" , explained Emmanuel Macron Sunday evening.

The Head of State then lunched with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk to prepare the Brussels summit.

- Common concern about Syria -

The second highlight of the week will be the Franco-German Council of Ministers which will meet Wednesday afternoon in Toulouse with Angela Merkel and members of both governments.

During this meeting, Emmanuel Macron wants to push Germany to go further on its project of a common European defense and on European industrial projects, such as Airbus.

The two leaders will also visit together the headquarters of the aircraft manufacturer, currently targeting a commercial dispute with the United States. Washington has decided to apply, from October 18th, 7.5 billion dollars of customs duties on European products, after a green light from the World Trade Organization (WTO) which sanctioned public loans to Airbus .

In the wake, Brussels has promised to respond to US sanctions.

On Wednesday evening, Ursula von der Leyen will join the Franco-German tandem for a dinner with the Round Table of European Industrialists, a liberal club that brings together fifty or so of the biggest industrial and high-tech groups in the EU.

Another topic at the heart of the talks, the Turkish offensive in Syria, which "risk creating an unsustainable humanitarian situation and help Daesh to re-emerge", warned again with a single voice Macron and Merkel on Sunday.

Both have again called on Turkey to stop its offensive, already condemned by the EU, and recalled their decision to suspend their arms sales to Turkey.

After dinner with the Chancellor, the president convened a small defense council on Syria.

"France will step up its diplomatic efforts (...) to obtain the immediate cessation of the ongoing Turkish offensive," said the statement issued by the Elysee after the council. Because the latter can "entail dramatic humanitarian consequences, a resurgence of Daesh in the region, and a lasting destabilization of northeastern Syria".

© 2019 AFP