The French presidency of the Council of the European Union: presidency at risk?

French President Emmanuel Macron at the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, January 19, 2022. © BERTRAND GUAY/AFP

By: Marie-France Chatin Follow

1 min

The kick-off of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union was given, this Wednesday, January 19, 2022, by the French President with his speech before the European Parliament.

A year ago, the UK left the European Union to promote its own global ambitions.

If this departure did not cause contagion, it nevertheless aroused ambivalent feelings.

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Brexit illustrates a form of decline in the desire for Europe and forces the Union to reflect on the substance in a particularly tense geopolitical context, marked by Sino-American rivalry, tensions with Russia and a sometimes complex relationship with the USA. .

The challenges ahead are significant.

To name but a few: the digital economy, ecology, demographic decline, security, including in the cyber domain, and the renovation of institutions.

The French presidency for six months of the Council of the European Union places Paris at the heart of today's challenges, implying institutional and political responsibilities for France. 

 Guests:  

  • Christian Lequesne,

    Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po  

  • Serge Sur,

    professor emeritus of the University Panthéon Assas, editor-in-chief of Questions internationales

  • Hans Stark,

    professor of German Civilization at the Sorbonne University, editor-in-chief of the journal Germany today and advisor for Franco-German relations at IFRI. 

Published in partnership with the review Questions internationales.

“Post-Brexit Europe”.

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  • European Union

  • France

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Brexit

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