Macron: UK and France risk growing apart

Telegraph

08-07-2025

Emmanuel Macron has warned there is a risk of French and British societies 'growing apart'.
In an address to members from both houses of Parliament during his state visit, the French president voiced concerns that the English Channel could 'grow wider' after Brexit.
Mr Macron argued for new exchange programs for students, researchers and artists, saying: 'Let's allow our children to have the same opportunities as the one we had.'
That section of the speech, which was listened to by hundreds of MPs and peers, received one of the largest rounds of applause of his 30-minute address.
The intervention puts pressure on Sir Keir, who was watching from the front row of the audience, to sign off details for a new youth free movement agreement with the European Union.
The Prime Minister agreed to one in principle in his 'reset' summit with the EU in May after strong lobbying from European capitals but has not agreed on the timings or numbers.
Elsewhere in the speech, Mr Macron took a swipe at Brexit, calling it 'deeply regrettable', and urged the UK not to diverge from the bloc's rules and regulations.
He issued a plea for the UK and France to join forces to cut the 'dependence' on America – which is waging a trade war under Donald Trump – and China.
Mr Macron also confirmed that the Bayeux Tapestry will return to England for the first time in 900 years. The treasures of Sutton Hoo will in turn be displayed in France.
The address to Parliament came on day one of his three-day UK state visit – the first by a French president since the British public voted to leave the EU in June 2016.
Mr Macron said: 'As Channel Tunnel is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, let's make a wish here today. Let's not allow the Channel to grow wider.
'Although there are 300,000 French people living in the United Kingdom and 150,000 British people living in France, there has been a decrease in movement in recent years when it comes to school, university, professional and researcher exchanges.
'And today there is a risk that our societies are growing apart, that our young people do not know each other as well and may end up strangers at a time when international current events remind us on a daily basis of our common future.
'Let's face it, let's work together, in order to facilitate the exchange of students, researchers, intellectuals, artists. This is so important. Let's allow our children to have the same opportunities as the one we had.'
Elsewhere in the speech, there were nods to Brexit, a decision that Mr Macron fiercely opposed and has since been involved in shaping via numerous signed agreements.
The French President called Brexit 'a decision we respect, even if we found it deeply regrettable'. He also joked about how long post-Brexit negotiations had taken.
At one point Mr Macron said that 'the point is not to diverge and to move forward side by side on these strategic choices we are facing'.
The message is in stark contrast to Brexiteers who have long argued that the UK could prosper most by diverging from European rules and regulations.
Sir Keir recently struck an agreement on agricultural products to copy EU requirements in return for lowering barriers to trade. Mr Macron notably welcomed the Prime Minister's re-engagement.
There were also calls to action in the international arena.
In recent weeks there have been tensions between London and Paris about exactly when and how to recognise Palestinian statehood, as revealed in The Telegraph this weekend.
British ministers have been resisting Mr Macron's push to make the declaration that would drive forward a two-state solution, instead wishing to attach more conditions on Hamas in return for the move.
Mr Macron used the speech to argue his case: 'Today, working together in order to recognise a state of Palestine and to initiate this political momentum is the only path to peace.'
He also condemned what is happening in Gaza, as he said: 'A war without end and without a strategic objective poses a huge threat to the region and our collective security. Today, dehumanisation is occurring there that can never be justified.'
There was a call for both nations to work together to counter not just the threats from China but the challenges from the US under Mr Trump's second presidency.
Mr Macron said: 'If we still depend on both China and the US I think we have a clear view of our future and the future of our children.
'On one side, over-capacities and over-subsidies are a clear threat to fair trade and they are destabilising a lot of value chains and creating new dependencies.
'On the other side, the trade war is clearly an explicit decision not to be compliant any more with WTO and this due commerce we loved until now.'
Mr Macron said 'we have no other choice' but for Europe to become more self-reliant, adding: 'We want an open world. We want to co-operate, but not to depend.'
The French President also singled out the influences of algorithms made in America and China which are impacting the lives of children in Europe, including via social media addiction.
He warned: 'What is at stake as well today in Europe is the defence of democratic models amid foreign interference, information manipulation, domination of minds by negative emotions and addictions to social media. These are the big other risks.'
'Finally, we meet again'
The address was wrapped up with an emotional reference to the shared history between France and Britain from two world wars, via a nod to singer Vera Lynn.
Mr Macron said: 'I came here today to renew the French people's message of friendship and fraternity.
'Yes, finally, we meet again. And let's be sure that we will meet again for years and decades.
'Because we are linked by our geography, by our past, but we are linked by our common future. And the only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges for our times, will be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. This is our common destiny.
'Long live our French-United Kingdom friendship. Long live the United Kingdom. Long live France.'