F Rennes President Emmanuel Macron said today that he wanted a Europe that knew how to protect its borders from migrant crises, noting that this would happen with the reform of the Schengen area, AFP reported.
Macron spoke at a press conference outlining the priorities of the French presidency of the European Union next year.
“Protecting our borders is a necessary condition for ensuring the security of Europeans, for tackling the challenges of migration and for avoiding the dramas we have already experienced,” the French leader said.
The French leader said his country would propose a series of regular meetings of EU ministers to discuss changes to the Schengen mechanism.
“In order to avoid abuse of the right to asylum, we will initiate a reform of the Schengen area,” the French president said.
Macron added that another priority of France during the presidency would be the definition of “European strategic sovereignty”.
“This idea, which seemed unthinkable four years ago, allows us to say that we as Europeans, whether we are members of NATO or not, have common threats and common goals,” the French leader said.
Macron today called on the European Union to re-engage with the Western Balkans, taking into account new tensions in the region and the intervention of regional forces aimed at destabilizing Europe.
“There are new manifestations of tension in this region today. Its history, which is sometimes tragic, is about to be repeated. We have a special responsibility to the Western Balkans,” the French leader told a news conference at the Elysee Palace.
Macron also announced that a summit between the European Union and the African Union would be held in Brussels on 17 and 18 February to seriously reform relations between the two organizations.
The European Union must play a more serious role in the Sahel region, Macron said.
The French leader said he wanted to turn France’s fight against jihadists in the region and ensure its security into a common European initiative.
