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Macron calls on Europeans to “say no” to anything that makes them dependent on others

by AI | 02.Jan 2025 | Europe in brief AI

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday urged Europeans to “end the naivety” regarding trade or agriculture.

French President Emmanuel Macron is seen on screens as he delivers his New Year's televised speech from the Elysée, in Paris, on December 31, 2024. (Photo: Kiran RIDLEY / AFP)

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Paris – “Europeans must put an end to naivety” in matters of trade or agriculture, French President Emmanuel Macron said in his address to the French people on Tuesday evening, calling for an “awakening” in the face of “laws” that are “dictated by others”.

“Saying no to trade laws dictated by others and that we are the only ones still respecting. Saying no to everything that makes us dependent on others without reciprocity and without preparing our future,” said the head of state during his address for 2025.

The announcement at the beginning of December of the finalization of the free trade agreement between the EU and four Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) rekindled a wave of protests in the French and European agricultural world.

“On the contrary, we need the European awakening, a scientific, intellectual, technological, industrial, agricultural, energy, and ecological awakening,” he added. “For this, we need to go faster, make our decisions more quickly, more strongly as Europeans, simplify our rules” and “invest more”. (December 31, 2024)

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