Macron spoke about the crisis of democracy in Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron during a two-day state visit to Spain presented methods to deal with the crisis of democracy and the growth of “extreme” sentiment in Europe. This is the first official visit by a French president to a neighboring country since 2009.
French President Emmanuel Macron during a two-day state visit to Spain presented methods to deal with the crisis of democracy and the growth of “extreme” sentiment in Europe. This is the first official visit by a French president to a neighboring country since 2009. The 23rd French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Spain.
Macron called for major investments in a “stronger Europe” and outlined his analysis of “democratic fatigue” on the continent. According to him, the crisis began with deindustrialization, as a result of which “the transition to an economy that allows everyone to live better” did not occur. Then the situation worsened due to the demographic crisis, which Europeans compensated for by immigration. He said it “shattered the public consensus.”.
According to Macron, European democracy is facing a crisis of effectiveness due to the complexity of decision-making procedures and the many balances. This has created “fascination with authoritarian regimes” and has fostered “demagogic” and “extreme” forces offering quick and simple solutions.
The French president’s visit comes after the Spanish Senate rejected the ratification of the Franco-Spanish Treaty of Friendship on the initiative of right-wing forces. The document was signed by the governments of both countries in 2023 in Barcelona.
Ekaterina Naumova
