Emmanuel Macron says Britain could be part of reformed EU after Brexit
The French President sets out a bold vision for a more efficient Europe, working more closely on defence, immigration and finance.
Tuesday 26 September 2017 19:03, UK
Emmanuel Macron has signalled Britain could be part of a reformed European Union after Brexit.
Setting out his vision for Europe in a major speech in Paris, the French President said: "In a few years, if they want, the United Kingdom could find its place...in this reformed and simplified EU that I'm proposing.
"I can't imagine that the United Kingdom could not find its place."
In an address lasting almost two hours, Mr Macron called for the EU to work more closely on areas including defence, security, immigration and corporation tax and for the eurozone to have its own budget.
He portrayed Europe as needing to relaunch itself after nearly a decade of stalled economic growth, a migration crisis and tensions between east and west.
He said that by 2024 "we need a Europe that is simpler, more transparent and less bureaucratic... simple, efficient protective, the single market should become a space for convergence rather than competition."
The 39-year-old French leader admitted he timed his speech to have the greatest possible influence as his German counterpart Angela Merkel tries to form a coalition government following her underwhelming election victory.
Flanked by a French and European Union flag, he said: "The only path that assures our future is the rebuilding of a Europe that is sovereign, united and democratic."
One of the most striking proposals was for the EU to boost its common defence systems and have "autonomous capacity for action" through a joint military force.
Speaking at the Sorbonne, he called for a shared defence budget and common policy and said Europe should also have its own military training academy.
Other key points from the speech:
:: A European asylum office and European border police should be created to assure better protection of Europe's borders.
:: The Common Agricultural Policy should be reformed to make it more flexible and less bureaucratic.
:: There should be a single, EU-wide financial transactions tax, reforms to target tax avoidance by big companies and France and Germany should harmonise their corporation tax rates.
:: The EU should create an agency to encourage research by digital companies in areas like Artificial Intelligence.
The speech came on the day European Council President Donald Tusk met Theresa May in London and declared the era of Britain "having a cake and eating it" on Brexit was over.
It was welcomed by Martin Selmayr, chief of staff of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
He said the proposals to reinforce the eurozone would be discussed alongside Mr Juncker's own at a special summit planned for December.
"A very European speech, very open," Mr Selmayr tweeted in French.
Germany's Greens gave the speech a warm response but the fiscally conservative FDP rejected the idea of a eurozone budget - demonstrating the challenge Mrs Merkel faces to unify her "Jamaica" coalition.