In Germany, Macron laments Europe’s “fascination with authoritarianism” and calls for voting in elections.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday in Berlin, at the start of his state visit to Germany, deplored Europe’s “craze for authoritarianism” and called on people to vote in the next European elections, from June 6 to 9, to “defend” democracy.

“We have never had so many enemies inside and outside (…) I think that, in essence, we have a kind of crisis in our democracy,” he said during a conversation with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in front of young people.

“The strength of democracy is constant debate on all issues to try to come to the best solution that the people choose,” he said. Today, “a form of craze for authoritarianism is emerging in our democracies,” he said.

“We allow nationalists to reap all the dividends from democracy”

According to Emmanuel Macron, the ingrained belief “is essentially that this Europe would be simpler if we were nationalists. The problem today is that in our democratic countries we are accustomed to democracy and have forgotten that it is a struggle,” he insisted. Before lamenting the neglect: “We allow nationalists and often enemies of democracy to extract all the dividends from democracy and criticize it existentially. »

Later, questioned at a press conference alongside the German president, Emmanuel Macron repeated his attacks on the far right and the National Rally. “Extremes and nationalist movements seem attractive, but often our compatriots forget that if (these partiesIf they were in charge, then everything they bring from Europe would not exist,” he explained, referring to the Covid vaccine, aid to Ukraine or even cooperation in the face of migration waves. “None of their speeches stand up to scrutiny,” he insisted.

In this context, “it is important to vote in the European elections for the party that we support and which is the party that defends Europe,” the Head of State addressed the youth. “It is Europe that makes it possible to protect democracy, the absence of hegemony on our continent and the ability to collectively respond to these challenges,” he insisted. And the French president suggests he wants to “expose and expose” the lies of the far right and justify his desire to debate Marine Le Pen.

Three-day visit to Germany

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Germany on Sunday for a three-day state visit designed to reaffirm the strength of the Franco-German couple and try to bridge differences on major European issues, from the war in Ukraine to commercial rivalry.

“The fact that Emmanuel Macron is here, that he is celebrating democracy with us, is a signal that we need a union of democrats in Europe,” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier added next to him.

This is the first state visit – the highest according to protocol – by a French president to Germany in 24 years. She will take the head of state to Berlin, Dresden in the former GDR and Münster in the west of the country.