Presidency of the EU during the campaign: advantage or disadvantage for Macron?

Laura Laplaud 9:24 p.m., December 09, 2021

By presenting his ambitious priorities for the French presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), which starts on January 1, at a press conference at the Elysee Palace on Thursday, Emmanuel Macron asserted himself as leader of Europe. with a slogan: "Relaunch, power, belonging".

A one-semester mandate to boost a new European model, but which does not come at the right time according to

guests on

 Thursday.

The fear of the image of a president "a little above ground"

A more sovereign Europe, which controls its external borders, such is the wish of Emmanuel Macron.

"To ensure that this presidency is useful, that it allows Europe to assert itself as a power and to regain control of its destiny", he declared.

It is an ambitious program that poses a problem, the date of this presidency.

"On the side of those close to the President of the Republic, we were convinced that this presidency of the Council of Member States of the European Union was an interesting opportunity in this presidential period," said Karim Zeribi, CNews consultant.

But "it can on the contrary give the image of a president a little above ground and disconnected from the daily concerns of the French", he continued.

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"To be president of Europe, of France, and candidate, not sure that it is tenable"

If Emmanuel Macron has not yet declared himself a candidate for the presidential election, he will have to reconcile the presidency of the Council of the EU and the presidential campaign.

"This French presidency, we did not choose the calendar," said the Head of State.

Asked about this subject, he assures us that he will be able to reconcile the two.

"We know that he is a specialist in 'at the same time' but already being president and at the same time a candidate is a lot of work. But president of Europe, president of France and at the same time a candidate, not sure that it is tenable ", comments Eugenie Bastié, journalist with the newspaper

.

"European authorities are worried" about Macron's busy agenda

Presiding over the Council of the EU means putting yourself at the service of Europe for six months. When a state holds this presidency, it is responsible for organizing and chairing all the meetings of the Council of the EU. Obligations which could therefore shake up Emmanuel Macron's agenda. "The European authorities are worried", assures Eugénie Bastié. "It's unbelievable! There are 27 countries anyway, I think we could have found a country that has no election in the next six months," she insisted.

The presidency of the Council of the EU now has two faces for Emmanuel Macron: that of a playing card to shape the future of Europe and that of a thorn, which has entered the political calendar at the wrong time.

But the President of the Republic proclaims it loud and clear: "The mandate given to me by the French, I will exercise it until the last quarter of an hour".