Back to school is here for Emmanuel Macron. This Monday, the Head of State spoke to the ambassadors of France, gathered in Paris. The opportunity for him to concentrate towards the south. And more particularly on Africa, where the situation in Niger monopolizes French attention, and the Middle East. But what did the French president say, in detail? 20 minutes tells you everything.
Release of detainees in Iran
Emmanuel Macron asked for the release of the four French people detained “in unacceptable conditions” in Iran, during this annual speech, delivered at the Elysée.
“Nothing justifies the detention” of “French nationals in prisons and in unacceptable conditions in Iran”, declared the head of state. The four French people detained by Tehran are Louis Arnaud, since September 2022, a French teacher, Cécile Kohler, and her companion Jacques Paris, arrested in May 2022 for “espionage”. The identity of the latter has not been disclosed.
Neither “paternalism” nor “weakness” in Africa
The president refuted any “paternalism” but also any “weakness” of France in Africa while the Sahel is facing an “epidemic of putschs”, recently in Niger.
“Neither paternalism nor weakness because otherwise we are nowhere,” he said to the French ambassadors, also calling on the countries of the Sahel to have a “responsible policy” in the matter. “The weakness that some have shown with regard to previous putschs has nourished regional vocations. There is an epidemic of putschs throughout the Sahel,” he lamented. He also praised the difficult work of the French ambassador to Niger, who is still in office, although the soldiers who took power have asked for his departure.
The “risk of impairment”
The Head of State was also worried about the old continent. Emmanuel Macron warned of a “risk of weakening” Europe and the West in the current international context.
This context “has rather hardened”, “is becoming more complicated” and “runs the risk of a weakening of the West and more particularly of our Europe”, he declared before the French ambassadors gathered in Paris. citing in particular “the emergence of [nouvelles] major international powers. On this occasion, he also felt that the European Union should “accept more integration”, see “several speeds” to “evolve on essential subjects”.
Baghdad Conference
Appointment is made. The next Baghdad conference on Middle East security will take place “at the end of November”, the president announced, calling on the states of the region to demand “increased cooperation” from Syria in the fight against terrorism if they want to reintegrate it into regional bodies.
This reintegration of Damascus must “assume increased cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups” and the possibility for Syrian refugees to return to their country with a certain number of “guarantees”, he added.