Emmanuel Macron and Mark Rutte are already preparing the European Council on February 9 and 10, in Brussels. The French president will go to The Hague on Monday to meet the Dutch Prime Minister, the Elysée announced on Thursday. The interview will focus “in particular on support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and on strengthening the industrial policy of the European Union”, specified the French presidency.
Emmanuel Macron has been maneuvering since his visit to Washington in early December to convince the EU to adopt a strong response to the massive US plan of 420 billion dollars for the ecological transition, which provides for generous credits for taxes and subsidies for renewable energies. Paris would like Europe to be able to play on an equal footing.
European funding in question
He has already tried to rally the Spanish and German heads of government, Pedro Sanchez and Olaf Scholz, even if their degree of agreement will have to be assessed at the summit, particularly on the key question of European funding.
Emmanuel Macron will travel to the Netherlands on the eve of a new day of social mobilization against his disputed pension reform, after the first which brought together one to two million people in the streets of France on January 19. He will hold a joint press conference with Mark Rutte.