Georgina Wright Profile picture
France, Britain & Brussels thinking @i_montaigne. Visiting Fellow @gmfus. Bruxelloise.
@littlegravitas@c.im 🇺🇦 🇪🇺 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 #FBPE Profile picture Dame Chris🌟🇺🇦😷 #RejoinEU #FBPE #GTTO🔶️ Profile picture Birger Leth Profile picture Ian McLaren Profile picture 5 subscribed
May 31, 2023 6 tweets 2 min read
My (quick) take on Macron's speech (not Q&A) @GLOBSEC:
1. Nothing substantially new - but I think it will go a long way to reassure those, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, who were critical of France, its position on Russia and not doing enough for Ukraine. 2. On NATO: NATO is back. But Europeans must think more abt how they guarantee peace & security on continent. Felt to me like Macron focused less on Europe (EU)'s independence from others & more on need to *become a credible actor in eyes of others.* Capable > autonomous.
May 31, 2023 23 tweets 4 min read
.@EmmanuelMacron is about to deliver at speech @GLOBSEC on France's vision for European security. I'll be tweeting thoughts #GLOBSEC2023 : (He's running late - quelle surprise.. but does give me time to question my decision to live-tweet. Macron speeches tend to be v, v long)
May 9, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
Today, on Europe 🇪🇺 Day, German Chancellor Scholz gave a speech in front of @Europarl_EN calling for an EU that is "more geopolitical, reformed & open to the future". What does this mean for France? Short thread 1/3: 1. Good news: 🇩🇪 and 🇫🇷 both want EU to:
1) be more geopolitical
2) have more capabilities, incl. more integrated defence industry
3) reform (for e.g. majority voting for foreign policy). NB: reform not a precondition to enlargement but a long-term goal
4) more industrial policy
Feb 1, 2023 11 tweets 3 min read
.@vonderleyen unveils the EU Commission's proposal for a "Green Deal Industrial Plan" to respond to the Inflation Reduction Act : ec.europa.eu/commission/pre… short thread 1. It's all about climate: the new deal complements EU Green Deal and RePowerEU (EU's plan to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels). But clearly, it's also about supporting EU green tech industry in face of US' inflation reduction act & Chinese support for green tech firms.
Dec 15, 2022 12 tweets 4 min read
My latest piece for @i_montaigne explores the *real* reasons why the EU is worried about the #InflationReductionAct. Spoiler: Biden’s IRA exemptions won’t be sufficient to protect EU industry: institutmontaigne.org/en/analysis/re… THREAD (1/8) 1. EU doesn’t hate the IRA: IRA is 1st major attempt by a US administration to combat climate change. A good thing for US and the planet. Some EU companies have even benefitted from IRA (German heavy industry recorded 40% increase in Sept. 2022, compared to Sept. 2021).
Nov 28, 2022 4 tweets 2 min read
Hi 👋🏼! If I'm a bit quiet on here lately it's cos I'm spending too much time reading up on US' #InflationReductionAct (and the likes) to understand impact EU industry (I know, fun). Anyway, can someone please help me understand what an adviser to President Macron said.. 1/2 ... when he/she said: "Macron is hoping to secure exemptions for certain EU industries" from IRA during his state visit to Washington tomorrow "like those Canada and Mexico benefit from". Help please? Thx 2/2
Nov 28, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
Bon, je sais que j'habite en 🇫🇷 depuis 2 ans mais je ne comprends pas le sens de cette phrase d'un conseiller du Président: "nous pouvons imaginer que l'administration américaine consente des exemptions pour 1 certain nombre d'industries 🇪🇺" de l'#InflationReductionAct. Help plz? Cfr ici : boursorama.com/bourse/actuali…
Oct 7, 2022 11 tweets 5 min read
France and the UK want to work more closely together and host a 🇫🇷🇬🇧 summit next year. My take on why @trussliz & @EmmanuelMacron are right to do this now (+ thread): institutmontaigne.org/en/analysis/wh… 1. First, it wd be strategic: France and UK are the 2 largest military and nuclear powers in Europe, with diplomatic operations to match. People-to-people ties are considerable. They share many of the same instincts. More unites them than divides them - on paper at least.
May 10, 2022 7 tweets 1 min read
Reading through the speech, that does *not* appear to be what Macron is saying though? Instead: 1/6 - Russia: must do everything to support Ukraine & make sure Russia doesn’t win. Must fight war crimes & cut Russia’s access to funds. 2/6
May 9, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
Macron says EU enlargement process can take decades. Is he right? Yes. But isn't he actually trying to frustrate enlargement process? No, he isn't. This is why. Short thread. 1. No way to #fasttrack EU membership: you can accelerate process of designating a third country a "candidate" country, you can even accelerate aspects of the negotiations. But you cannot fast-track EU membership as a whole.
May 9, 2022 15 tweets 3 min read
.@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]
Apr 24, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
THE WAIT IS OVER: @EmmanuelMacron is re-elected President of France with 58% of the vote. Reminder to my international friends 👋🏼: Macron is *not* 1st president to be re-elected in the Vth Republic - but 2nd re-elected outside of cohabitation (i.e since reforms in the early 2000s which reduced mandate from 7 to 5 yrs + presidential & legislative now happen in same yr)
Apr 20, 2022 30 tweets 4 min read
Macron and Le Pen debate has begun. First impression: Le Pen looks more at ease and uses the empathy card “I have listened, I know what French citizens want..”. #GrandDebat Macron responds. He says he shares her concerns, runs through what he has done during his mandate and what he plans to do in the future. He also points to gov initiatives designed to help French citizens - which, he says, Le Pen and her MPs opposed.
Feb 27, 2022 9 tweets 2 min read
I've seen people talk about Ukraine joining the #EU. EU cd declare Ukraine a candidate country (strong pol. message) but accession wd take time. Short thread on what it would take : 1. Context: Ukraine signed association agreement (AA) with the EU in 2014. This included a deep and comprehensive trade agreement (DCFTA). The AA has been fully applied since 2017 & DCFTA has been provisionally applied since 2016 (i.e. not all EU countries have ratified it yet)
Dec 9, 2021 23 tweets 4 min read
.@EmmanuelMacron is outlining the programme of the French presidency of the Council of the EU: 1. Logo: @CBeaune is now taking the floor. He introduces the logo and explains it. French colours, EU stars and an arrow indicating progress.
Dec 9, 2021 8 tweets 3 min read
Cet après-midi, @EmmanuelMacron énoncera les priorités de la présidence française de l’UE (#PFUE) 2022. Au programme: sommets, réunions, négociations (et une campagne présidentielle). Retrouvez notre dossier spécial PFUE @i_montaigne : institutmontaigne.org/publications/l… Notre première note répond à la question suivante "Qu’est-ce qu’une PFUE?".

La France ne présidera pas l’Europe. Mais elle exercera 5 rôles importants:
Dec 8, 2021 8 tweets 1 min read
Demain @EmmanuelMacron énoncera le programme de la présidence française du Conseil de l’UE (#PFUE). A quoi faudra-t-il faire attention ? 🧵 1. La France lance-t-elle des nouvelles initiatives au niveau européen ?
Feb 17, 2021 7 tweets 2 min read
That's the thing though. @DavidGHFrost appointment isn't about bringing UK-EU closer together (politically or economically). His appointment is about making TCA work & be point person when it doesn't. Which is why it makes sense. Thread. 1. Kind of relief to Brussels: Frost has a reputation for being firm ("all abt sovereignty") but he does understand EU policy-making more or less. Was Brexit negotiator & worked in UK representation to EU in 90s. Understanding how EU negotiates is important to make TCA work.
Feb 11, 2021 6 tweets 2 min read
There are several important elements to disentangle here. And imo, biggest long-term problem for City is not EU's onshoring of EU trade but UK's loss of influence over EU banking regulation. Short thread 1. Onshoring not surprising: as soon as it was clear UK banks wouldn't retain passporting, banks started to plan. They started to move some activity/personnel to EU. EU not granting UK equivalence decision also not helping.
Dec 21, 2020 8 tweets 3 min read
Extending the transition period is a lovely idea - in theory. But in practice, it's a total minefield and not clear it can be done in time. Why? Thread. 1. Several ways to buy more time for talks:
(i) Extend transition period (TP) before July 2020: missed that deadline
(ii) Extend TP by amending withdrawal agreement (WA): legally v complicated for EU
(iii) Create a brand new TP: politically v complicated
Dec 21, 2020 9 tweets 3 min read
This is a lovely idea - in theory. But in practice, it's a total minefield and not clear it can be done in time. Why? Thread. 1. Several ways to buy more time for talks:
(i) Extend transition period (TP) before July 2020: missed that deadline
(ii) Extend TP by amending withdrawal agreement (WA): legally v complicated for EU
(iii) Create a brand new TP: politically v complicated