Macron urges UK to stand ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with EU in Westminster speech

Emmanuel Macron urged the UK to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the EU as Europe looks to reduce its dependencies on foreign powers amid geopolitical upheaval, in a speech to British parliamentarians on Tuesday.

There was first the pageantry, the trumpets, and the gun salutes upon the midday arrival of the French president and his wife Brigitte at Windsor Castle, King Charles III’s royal residence where the couple are to spend the night.

Then came Macron's address at the Palace of Westminster, in front of members of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons – just as Nicolas Sarkozy had done in 2008, and as Donald Trump is due to do in September on his state visit to the UK.

After customary references to the bonds of brotherhood forged on the battlefields of the two world wars, Macron adopted a distinctly geopolitical tone. He called on Paris and London to “defend the world order” – in Ukraine, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific.

The French president, a staunch advocate for Europe's 'strategic autonomy', also advocated for the UK to be more closely involved in the EU's attempts to reduce its dependencies – militarily, economically, and technologically – on superpowers like the US and China.

“The United Kingdom cannot remain on the sidelines; we must move forward shoulder to shoulder,” declared the French President, who reiterated the “responsibility” of Paris and London for the security of the European continent despite Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

“We are faced with new threats, with aggressive nuclear powers, with sometimes hesitating alliances,” Macron explained, making the case for “building a strong European pillar in NATO.”

His words echoed those of Jacques Chirac, spoken in the very same place in 1996, when he advocated for Europe to equip itself “with the means to shoulder greater responsibility for its own defence,” by developing within NATO “a European defence identity.”

Migration progress by Thursday

On the issue of migration, Macron noted that “decisions” would be taken at the Franco-British summit on Thursday. Talks on a deal that could see the UK return migrants who have arrived from France – in exchange for taking in migrants wishing to join relatives already settled in the UK – have been complicated by opposition from some EU capitals.

The French president also announced that the Bayeux Tapestry – an 11th-century masterpiece depicting the Norman conquest of England – would be moved from Normandy to the British Museum in London between summer 2026 and summer 2027.

A speech to both houses of the British Parliament is a major diplomatic event offered only to leaders on state visits – that is, by invitation of the monarch. Notable past speakers have included Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, all of whom attracted such large crowds that their speeches were held in Westminster Hall – a space normally reserved for addresses by the monarch themselves.

Macron’s pulling power did not quite reach that level, meaning he delivered his address in the much smaller but more ornate Royal Gallery.

Alongside the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Macron will co-chair a meeting on Thursday of the coalition of 31 countries providing aid for Ukraine and exploring security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire.

Owen Morgan contributed reporting.

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