President Emmanuel Macron has dismissed concerns regarding France’s financial stability, asserting that the nation remains a solid and creditworthy entity. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Macron highlighted France’s strong tax revenues and significant recent investments in infrastructure, noting these outpaced those made in Germany.
Following a government reshuffle initiated after Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a vote of confidence on September 8th and the subsequent appointment of Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister, Macron expressed optimism concerning ongoing negotiations regarding the national budget. He encouraged German audiences to remain confident in France’s economic standing. He acknowledged that governmental consensus-building currently takes longer in France than in Germany, attributing this to a comparatively recent embrace of political compromise.
Regarding the rise of the far-right political movement in France, Macron refuted suggestions that this was a consequence of his policies. He characterized the increasingly polarized political landscape as a phenomenon observed across Europe, emphasizing the need for centrist political forces to collaborate effectively. He suggested that ongoing negotiations within France aimed at achieving a consensus are a testament to this evolving political approach.
Macron is scheduled to deliver an honorary address at the German Unity Day celebration in Saarbrücken on Friday and will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Saarland. He will be only the second French president to receive this honor, following Jacques Chirac’s appearance at a Unity Day event in Dresden in 2000.
The French President underscored the enduring importance of Franco-German relations, emphasizing that these must be continually revitalized and reimagined, countering the misconception that they represent a static or routine aspect of international diplomacy.