In France, Attal Calls for a United States of Europe — Politico Europe
French presidential candidate Gabriel Attal presented a program to deepen European integration, in which he proposed creating economically powerful United States of Europe. Speaking in the Champagne region, the former French prime minister said that if he wins the 2027 election, he will seek to make France part of such a union.
“The great mission of my generation is to realize the European dream and give birth to the United States of Europe,” Attal said, using an expression by Victor Hugo. He also said he does not want his generation to witness Europe becoming the “51st state of the United States” or the “24th Chinese province.”
A two-speed EU
As Politico Europe reports, Attal proposes a two-speed EU model that would allow like-minded states to integrate their economies, regulatory rules, labor markets and capital markets more quickly. To achieve this, he wants to conclude a separate treaty that citizens would have to approve in a referendum.
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Among the candidate’s other initiatives are joint European debt, the removal of trade barriers within the European Union, and encouragement of cross-border corporate mergers. He paid particular attention to the telecommunications and financial sectors. According to Attal’s plan, this should strengthen the EU’s competitiveness in its rivalry with the United States and China.
Criticism of the European Commission
During his speech, Attal noted the European legacy of President Emmanuel Macron but criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He said that in her State of the European Union address, she did not pay sufficient attention to the bloc’s problems, calling the speech “too little and too late.”
The candidate also opposed the trade deal that von der Leyen concluded last year with US President Donald Trump. According to the outlet, Attal’s advisers seek to portray him as one of the most pro-European candidates in the presidential race. His campaign director, Maxime Cordier, said that a group of members of the European Parliament plans to support these proposals in an op-ed in the coming days.
