2024-04-29 05:00:04
Emmanuel Macron during his speech on Europe at the Sorbonne in Paris, April 25, 2024. CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON / VIA REUTERS
In his April 25 speech on the European Union (EU), Emmanuel Macron outlined the broad outlines of a new European project. This aims to make Europe a real power, both in the military field and in that of scientific research and even commercial policy, without forgetting increased community control of migratory flows. The Macronian project focused on a regal and geostrategic Europe, controlling its borders, capable of defending itself and transforming itself into an international player capable of competing with the United States or China. It establishes power at the European level, but, as a result, refers the social question to the national level alone.
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Is this project shared by French voters? Data from the fourth wave of the Ipsos survey, in partnership with Cevipof, the Institut Montaigne, the Jean Jaurès Foundation and The world show that their expectations are significantly different. Asked about the priority issues that should be those of the EU, they put the migration crisis first (42%), climate change (36%), the future of agriculture (35%) before common defense ( 28%), the strengthening of the EU against China or the United States (24%) and, above all, well before aid to Ukraine (13%). The military focus of Emmanuel Macron’s project is not the priority for the French.
The situation therefore does not boil down to a choice between a “powerful Europe” and a return to narrow nationalism. The idea of European sovereignty, the strengthening of which is also weakly desired (54%), does not only clash with that of national sovereignty which is much more requested (71%). She stumbles over the fact that the EU does not answer the question of social cohesion which remains central in France. A country where voters will vote based on issues that resonate with them: purchasing power (49%), immigration (34%), but also the health system (33%). So many social issues which mainly affect popular categories, which favors the National Rally (RN).
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It is therefore a rearticulation between the European project and the national project that voters expect. Only a minority of them (24%) want the EU to take more and more decisions within the framework of common policies in the future, with a majority preferring a refocusing on the Member States (35%), sometimes in the framework of specific agreements (8%). For example, on the migration issue, only 38% of French people want it to be dealt with by common EU policies and 48% by the Member States. The temptation of “Frexit” is weak (14%) and only really appeals to voters from the RN or Reconquest lists!.
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