Discord in EU summit as Macron and Scholz press for urgent changes
Internal issues within France and Germany's leadership influenced the European Union summit. Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz reportedly demanded urgent changes to the EU's strategic agenda during confidential negotiations, Bloomberg reports. Other politicians were not pleased.
According to Bloomberg, Macron and Scholz "attempted to force through a last-minute rewrite of their long-term policy priorities," frustrating other member states.
Disagreements arose during the discussion on the so-called EU strategic agenda. The agenda sets the principles for the Union's response to climate change, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and immigration. According to Bloomberg's sources, the French president and the German chancellor demanded last-minute changes to the wording related to defence, which had been worked on intensively beforehand.
Problems in Berlin and Paris
Ultimately, only minor amendments were made, but the damage was done. Diplomats unanimously emphasized that Macron's and Scholz's sudden decisions stem from their weakening positions in their countries.
After the June election results were announced, Macron dissolved the French parliament and called early elections, scheduled for June 30 (first round) and July 7 (second round). In France, the National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, achieved a record result in the EU Parliament elections, securing approximately 31.4% of the vote, while Macron's Renaissance party faltered.
Right-wing populists also achieved success in Germany. The far-right AfD received 15.9% of the vote, surpassing Scholz's centre-left in eastern states.
Tectonic movements in Paris and Berlin led to tremors in Brussels, which is grappling with Russia's war in Ukraine and rising trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban bluntly stated that "everyone is talking" about the elections in France.
An anonymous diplomat told Bloomberg that French officials had grim faces during EU deliberations. Furthermore, President Macron announced that he plans to appoint Thierry Breton, currently the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, to one of the highest positions in the EU. Bloomberg emphasizes that if Le Pen's party wins the election, they will have their prime minister and influence critical EU nominations.
