Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 10 July 2018

Macron warns of nationalism in palace speech to lawmakers

By ELAINE GANLEY
Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — French Presi-
dent Emmanuel Macron
said Monday that the
battle between national-
ists and progressives will be
at the heart of European
Union parliamentary elec-
tions next year, a “turning
point” that will define the
Europe of the future.
Macron made the assess-
ment of what he said was
Europe’s real crisis during a
90-minute speech before
some 900 French lawmak-
ers convened at the Pal-
ace of Versailles to hear
France’s leader outline
his vision for the next four
years.
It came as successive polls
showed support for Ma-
cron sliding. He acknowl-
edged that fear and anger
among voters helped get
him elected in 2017 and
said, “That is why I stand
before you ... humble, but
resolved.” French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the upper and lower houses of the French parliament at a special session in Versailles,
Macron’s critics claim that near Paris, Monday, July 9, 2018.
humility is not among his Associated Press
virtues, pointing to his de- always done at Versailles, that he is the “president of to share the cake, we need battle of the decade in a
cision to deliver each year but this was Macron’s sec- the rich.” He said he wants a cake.” “too slow, too bureaucrat-
a French-style State of the ond time addressing them to use his second year in of- Macron said the French ic” EU, he said.
Union address in a gilded in the sumptuous palace fice to “lay the basis for a state is pumping 15 billion “It will be at the heart of
hall where members of the since his 2017 election. new social contract.” euros ($17.6 billion) over the European elections of
upper and lower houses of Some lawmakers boycot- His goal, he said, is cre- five years into training youth 2019,” he predicted, refer-
parliament have no right to ted the session, criticizing ation of a “providential and the unemployed to ring to balloting next year
respond. the president’s address as state of the 21st century,” help counter what he said to fill the European Parlia-
“This reproach is strange,” the exercise of a monarch. a welfare state in which was a particularly French ment, “elections that are a
Macron said of the com- “We are convoked to ad- a strong economy with inequality, linked to factors turning point.”
plaint at the outset. mire the splendor of Ma- healthy foreign investment such as social status and Macron roundly defeated
He announced plans for cron the First,” far-left lead- guarantees social justice. education that were “de- far-right nationalist leader
an amendment to the 2008 er Jean-Luc Melenchon Far from a welfare state of cided before birth.” Marine Le Pen in last year’s
constitutional law govern- told Europe 1 radio. handouts, Macron said his In one of his boldest re- French presidential elec-
ing presidential addresses Macron, a former invest- version would leave no one marks, Macron defined ris- tion, but populist parties —
to lawmakers so he can ment banker whose agen- behind but “make people ing nationalism as a top some with anti-EU or anti-
hear and respond to com- da puts a strong accent aware of their responsibili- challenge bearing down migrant policies — have
ments next year. It is rare on economic reform, ap- ties.” Stressing the need for on France and its European gained strength in Italy and
French presidents to con- peared at times to defend a dynamic economy, the Union partners. Countering in numerous eastern Euro-
vene lawmakers, a ritual himself from accusations president said, “If we want nationalist forces will be the pean countries.q