PARIS (AP) \u2014 French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that Europe could die if it fails to build its own robust defense as Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine rages on, or if it fails to undertake massive trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron urged Europeans to become more ambitious in a fast-changing world to face the challenges of war, fierce trade competition, energy scarcity, climate change and increasing authoritarianism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a nearly two-hour speech at the Paris\u2019s Sorbonne University, Macron said the Continent is divided and \u201ctoo slow and lacks ambition\u201d at a time when the 27-member European Union needs to become a superpower, defend its own borders and speak with one voice if it wants to survive and thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur Europe today is mortal,\u201d Macron said. \u201cIt can die and that depends solely on our choices,\u201d he added. He called on people to make those choices now because, \u201cit\u2019s today that Europe is between war and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia\u2019s aggression in Ukraine, now in its third year, is an existential threat and Europe is not armed enough to defend itself when \u201cconfronted by a power like Russia that has no inhibitions, no limits,\u201d Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Our ability to ensure our security is at stake,\u201d Macron said. \u201cRussia mustn\u2019t be allowed to win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France has been an firm supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and Macron has often clashed with other Western leaders as he has insisted that Europe must stand by the country at any cost. Last month, the French president alarmed European leaders by saying that\u00a0sending Western troops into Ukraine\u00a0to shore up its defenses shouldn\u2019t be ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Referring to trade practices of China and the U.S., Macron said \u201cthe two world powers have decided not to respect the rules of global trade\u201d by shoring up protections and subsides while Europe\u2019s industry remains open and is stuck in overregulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s do the same, we are in competition,\u201d Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thursday\u2019s speech comes ahead of pivotal European Parliament elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macron, a avid advocate of a united and assertive Europe, also rallied support for his centrist Renaissance party ahead of the June 6-9 vote as far-right parties lead the moderate coalitions in the polls. He called for safeguarding the democratic values as the \u201cauthoritarian model\u201d that he said was become \u201cmore popular\u201d across the Continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The French president lost his majority in France\u2019s most influential house of parliament, the National Assembly, after the 2022 election to the far-left coalition and the far-right National Rally party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The social situation in France remains tense as Paris prepares to host the\u00a0Olympic Games\u00a0this summer, amid protests from teachers, police officers, and\u00a0farmers\u00a0in recent weeks. The protests follow huge demonstrations last year against Macron\u2019s ultimately successful proposal to rise the retirement age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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