Europe is at a crossroads, French President Emmanuel Macron said while on a visit to the German city of Dresden on Monday.
Speaking in front of the city's Church of Our Lady, Macron called for a strong and sovereign Europe. "Europe is a history of peace, prosperity and democracy," he said, but all of this was under threat if Europe did not act.
"Europe is a guarantor of peace. For many of us, this argument long sounded outdated, but war rages again in Europe," he said.
Pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Macron said Europe had to formulate its own independent security and defence policy and called for Europeans to act as allies within NATO.
In economic policy as well, Europe had be become more sovereign and more independent with respect to competition from China and the United States.
"Europe needs a growth model for future generations," the French president said, stressing the need for pushing both economic growth and climate protection to the same extent.
