Thread by @GeorginaEWright

.@EmmanuelMacron takes the floor. He says he has good and bad news. The bad news is that he is going to give a speech (*I suspect this means longer than 10 minutes...). Good news is that he won't repeat what has been said in previous speeches.

[I won't be live-tweeting everything he says; I've done that before and I honestly thought he'd never stop talking. Will only tweet key bits]

1. Macron says that the conference on the Future of Europe (#CoFoE) shows that citizens want a stronger and more sovereign Europe.

2. Patience: Macron suggests citizen proposals are essential to Europe of today and tomorrow. Some proposals can be implemented quickly, others will take longer. (He is, imo, suggesting patience).

3. Ukraine: Macron says that only Ukraine can define terms & conditions of negotiations with Russia. (i.e. only Ukraine can decide on negotiating terms & settlement). EU must continue to support Ukraine.

4. Conference proposals: will be examined (meeting scheduled in September). Proposals must lead to concrete changes. "Pas seulement un exercice de style".

5. Independence and efficiency: EU must become more independent (= sovereign) & efficient.

5bis: Independence: Macron talks of an independent strategic agenda (NB: does not use term "strategic autonomy"). Need more strategic investment (in defence, strategic sectors, etc). Need to defend Eastern flank. Need to decarbonise. Need food sovereignty (production).

5bisbis Independence: need to defend rule of law which is "fragile". "Independence and sovereignty are bedrock(/conditions) of [our] freedom".

6. Whatever it takes: Macron says this in English (such gravitas). EU must do whatever it takes (to quote Italian PM Draghi) if it wants to be efficient. EU will need to reform "texts": 🚨MACRON IN FAVOUR OF TREATY CHANGE🚨. Will discuss at June European Council.

7. Macron says "multi-speed Europe already exists". Talks of Delors. Must respect EU's diversity of views. (Not entirely clear what he meant here).

8. Ukraine's EU membership: Macron says enlargement process is complex and cd take years, if not decades (he's right: see @vidocet's explainer: institutmontaigne.org/en/blog/instit…). But says EU *must* rethink "organisation of continent" (i.e. ways of pol rapprochement in meantime).

With which, @alemannoEU explains:

https://twitter.com/alemannoEU/status/1523639304718675969?s=20&t=VuGinZqWMDjqamhNNri6hA

9. Communauté politique européenne: given that EU enlargement is complex and takes times, EU must look into a *new European political community* - a way of uniting the whole of continent (EU, candidate countries, non-EU EEA countries & countries that have left, i.e. the UK).

10. Future: Macron ends with one message EU must be "sovereign, united, democratic & ambitious". END.