Emmanuel Macron: “If you trust the keys to people who think like them, there is no reason why Europe should become a great power.” #39; Photo: Christophe Ena/AP
Brexit has “impoverished” the UK and failed to solve the country’s immigration problems, said Emmanuel Macron.
The French president also targeted European nationalists before members of the bloc. election in June, saying they were all “closet Brexiteers.”
“Brexit has impoverished the United Kingdom,” he told The Economist. “Brexit has done nothing to solve the problem of immigration in the UK. Well, despite this, some people think it doesn't look that bad. But no one dares to say that something is wrong. And therefore no one is responsible for anything.”
Mr Macron also accused European nationalists of “distorting the European debate” and covering up the risks of leaving.
He said: “I say to the Europeans: wake up. Wake up! They are closet Brexiteers. All European nationalists are closet Brexiteers. It's still the same lie.
“Don't be mistaken. If you entrust the keys to people who think like them, Europe will have no reason to become a great power. In a sense, we are saying that it is not a problem if we entrust the bank to robbers. When they sit at the negotiating table, they take Europe hostage.»
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman responded to Mr Macron's Brexit claims by saying: «Clearly, as a long-time supporter of Brexit, he [Mr Sunak] would not agree. We left the EU to gain control of our borders, while we and our partnerships are leading the charge to disrupt the gang model.
“From an economic perspective, I put you on our record. The UK is now the world's fourth largest exporter, overtaking France.»
Macron's centrist Renaissance party faces defeat by Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) in the upcoming European Parliament elections on June 9.
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Mr Macron suffered a political setback on Thursday after France's broadcast watchdog Arcom ruled that a two-hour speech he gave at the Sorbonne should be deducted from his party's total airtime during the European election campaign.
The Élysée Palace insisted that he spoke as the president of all France when he said Europe was in mortal danger, especially from nationalist and illiberal rivals.
'They want to destroy it'
Mr Macron also pointed the finger at RN, whose campaign is led by 28-year-old party leader Jordan Bardella and «wants to get out of Europe, out of the euro, out of everything,» he said.
“Now this doesn’t mean anything. He is reaping the benefits of Europe while wanting to destroy it without saying anything.»
He cited the example of the RN's failure to vote for the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, adding: «But where are they going to find funding for 9.5 billion Euro? They don't explain it. And this is true for every country.”
However, he made an exception for Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, saying it has a “European approach.”
But “after that, the best way to build together is to have as few nationalists as possible,” he insisted.
Returning to France's relationship with Britain, he said the defense and security treaties negotiated by the Lancaster House between the two countries made Britain «a privileged partner of France.» He wanted to «deepen this» while holding «a broader strategic discussion with all Europeans who are willing to do this,» particularly through the 47-member European Political Community created after Russia's attack on Ukraine.
“I don’t think [Brexit] should stop us from moving full speed ahead on strategic and military issues,” he said.
“Strategic wake-up call”
Strengthening European defenses should not “exclude countries that have never been in the EU or have recently been in it, such as Norway, the UK or the Balkans,” he continued, citing joint missile programs “including with the UK.”
He insisted that the question of sending Western troops to Ukraine would legitimately arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines, and Kyiv had made such a request.
Most of France's allies ruled out sending any troops after he recently refused to do so in the name of «strategic ambiguity.»
Mr Macron said: «If Russia decides to go ahead, we will all have to ask ourselves anyway» about sending troops, calling his refusal to rule out The move «is a strategic wake-up call for my colleagues.»
He also said Europe must protect its strategic interests in its economic relationship with China, days before President Xi Jinping's state visit to France.< /p>
“There are many sectors in which China requires manufacturers to be Chinese because they are too sensitive. Europeans should be able to do the same and say that certain sectors fall within the scope of European national security,” he said.
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