Leading or playing the game? Macron's plans for the French EU Council presidency
Leading or playing the game? Macron's plans for the French EU Council presidency
Leading or playing the game? Macron's plans for the French EU Council presidency
> From top to bottom: Macron proposes major EU reforms
> From the bottom up: Volt Europa proposes 27 national concessions for a big leap in the European Union
Paris, 18th of January 2022. Since 1 January, France has held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months. President Macron has announced major structural reforms of the EU which, given the short term of office, should remain symbolic. Volt Europa welcomes the enthusiasm for a European finance ministry or a eurozone budget, but criticises France's approach. Instead of starting with the EU treaties, Volt suggests that individual member states should put their own house in order and intensify their national efforts to move Europe forward.
Damian Boeselager, Volt MEP, comments: "Macron should understand his role as conductor of the European orchestra. France alone cannot play for the whole European orchestra.
Volt Europa, however, is turning the tables! Under the leadership of Volt France, each of Volt's 27 European sections has formulated a demand to their national governments in a joint white paper to move Europe forward on national level. They range from the right to vote for non-European citizens (Italy) to the abandonment of coal (Czech Republic) to the abandonment of the national foreign ministry in favour of a European foreign minister (Germany). In this way, each of the Member States is helping to consolidate the foundations of the EU.
Sven Franck, co-president of Volt France: "We are proposing this project to President Macron as a European momentum to launch discussions with member states and to trigger the sense of European cohesion. We need France to be the motor of a common and ambitious European project, rather than using Europe as a single tool in the presidential campaign. Our common challenges are too important for that."
The European Momentum (white paper)
https://assets.volteuropa.org/2022-01/Volt-France-The-European-Momentum-v2.pdf
Contact
Eric Galéra - Responsable Press and media relations, Volt France
Mail : eric.galera@volteuropa.org
Charlotte Barsky - Co-Responsible Communication Volt France
Mail : charlotte.barsky@volteuropa.org
About Volt
As the first truly pan-European party, Volt is committed to reforming the European Union so that global challenges can be solved in a pan-European way. A federal, functioning European republic must be the basis. Volt's vision: a progressive Europe with an inclusive society, a climate-friendly economy, an adaptable education system and self-determined digitalisation.
Volt is convinced that only through the democratic participation of all European citizens can Europe prepare for a sustainable, economically strong and socially just future. This is why Volt acts at all levels - from local to European, as a movement and as a party. The movement gives all European citizens a voice and the opportunity to engage politically from within society. Today, Volt is present all over Europe: Thousands of people of all ages and professions are engaged in 30 European countries with teams in hundreds of cities.
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(Photo by Frederic Köberl on Unsplash)