Month: December 2024

French President Emmanuel Macron has described the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East as threats to his country’s security, unity, and economy. He also warned that election manipulations in Georgia, Moldova, and Romania pose a danger to European democracy, according to Macron’s New Year address to the French people and Reuters.

The French leader delivered a New Year’s speech, marking the end of a tumultuous 2024 for him. Earlier in the year, he shocked the nation by calling for early elections. This move backfired, creating a hung parliament with a significant rise in ultra-right-wing lawmakers, weakening Macron’s power.

“Lucidity and humility force (me) to recognise that at this stage, this decision has produced more instability than peace, and I fully own up to that. The dissolution caused more divisions in the Assembly than solutions for the French people,” the president said, clearly accepting his fault after the elections.

Macron justified his decision to call for early elections following a poor result in the European elections by the need to clarify the political situation. However, he lost his working majority and spent two months forming a minority government, which ultimately collapsed in December – marking the first time this has happened in France since 1962.

As a result, France was unable to approve its 2025 budget by the end of the year, and Macron was forced to appoint his fourth prime minister of the year in December – centrist veteran François Bayrou.

Use of referendums

Macron also opened the door to the use of referendums in 2025. Without explicitly using the word, he stated that he would ask the French people to decide on crucial issues, though he did not specify which ones.

“I want us to act with 2050 in our sights. We will have choices to make, for our economy, our democracy, our security, our children,” he said.

The French Constitution grants the president the power to initiate referendums.

In the past, Macron has also used citizens’ assemblies – gatherings of randomly selected citizens without any binding powers – to suppress uprisings, such as the yellow vest protests.

Tariff war with the US

Regarding international issues, in which he retains broad diplomatic and military powers, Macron stated that the European Union must stop being naive when it comes to international trade, as the bloc faces the threat of rising tariffs from newly elected US President Donald Trump.

“We must say no to trade rules enacted by others and that we are the only ones to still comply with, say no to everything that makes us more dependent on others, without tradeoffs and without preparing the future,” he said.

War in Ukraine is a threat to security

Macron also stated that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are not distant conflicts. According to him, these conflicts directly concern France and pose a threat to its security, unity, and economy.

He referred to recent events in Syria, election manipulations in Moldova, Georgia, and Romania, as well as terrorist attacks in Europe, as signs of a threat to European democracy.

Macron emphasized that terrorist attacks in Europe and on their borders demonstrated that security and the proper functioning of democracies could never be taken for granted.

The president is convinced that, for this reason, Europe must stop delegating its security and defense to other countries. At the same time, France must continue investing in military rearmament to guarantee its sovereignty.

The French president also urged EU partners, who often rely on the US security umbrella, to do more for their defense.

Situation in France

On December 23, France formed a new government led by Prime Minister François Bayrou. Eight ministers from the previous cabinet retained their positions in the new government.

Throughout the ongoing full-scale war, France, alongside the UK, has been actively providing military assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Recently, it was revealed that a pro-Russian hacker group targeted the portals of several French cities in retaliation for France’s support of Ukraine.

France became one of three countries to send financial aid of 150 million euros to Ukraine. The funds will be directed towards the production of weapons.

Meanwhile, the French Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State positions in Syria.

Poland has officially started its presidency of the European Union Council from January 1 to June 30, 2025. Among the main tasks for Warsaw during this period was strengthening European security in light of geopolitical conflicts, according to the official website of Poland’s presidency in the EU Council.

It is noted that since the beginning of this year, representatives of the Polish government have taken over the presidency at EU ministerial meetings from the Hungarian side, which ended after December 31, 2024.

A release regarding Poland’s priorities during its EU Council presidency states that the country assumes leadership in a period of uncertainty and concern.

“Europe is grappling with the consequences of Russia’s third year of armed aggression against Ukraine and the need to strengthen its own defence capacity. We are witnessing increasing geopolitical tensions, the erosion of the rulesbased international order and hybrid attacks targeting European democracy and security,” the Polish statement reads.

It is emphasized that Europe is going through a time of trials and decisions and that the EU must protect itself and its citizens and take care of its immediate neighborhood.

The release emphasizes that responsibility to future generations demands the unity of the EU and the willingness to collaborate with partners who share its values, including membership candidates. It also stresses the obligation to protect the values on which the Community is founded, such as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

Thus, Warsaw declares that the Polish Presidency will support activities strengthening European security in all its dimensions: external, internal, information, economic, energy, food, and health.

Here are the 7 relevant dimensions of security:

• Defense and security
• Protection of people and borders
• Resilience to external interference and disinformation
• Ensuring the security and freedom of business
• Energy transition
• Competitive and sustainable agriculture
• Health security

Expectations from Poland’s EU Council presidency

Earlier in December 2024, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, assured that Poland’s presidency of the EU Council in the first half of the upcoming year would help achieve consensus on further sanctions against Russia.

Sikorski also stated that Poland’s priorities during its presidency would focus on ensuring an effective pace of the EU’s enlargement process.

Recently, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, assessed what Ukraine can expect from Poland’s presidency in the EU starting in 2025.

For details about Poland’s plans during its presidency of the EU Council, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping once again stated that no one can stop the reunification of China with Taiwan. He called this event inevitable, reports Reuters.

“The people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family. No one can sever our family bonds, and no one can stop the historical trend of national reunification,” Xi said in his New Year’s address.

The agency reminded that in his New Year’s speech last year, Xi stated that the reunification of China with Taiwan is inevitable. He added that people on both sides should be united by a common goal and share the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

China-Taiwan confrontation

China considers the democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory. However, Taipei rejects Beijing’s claims and states that only its people can decide their future, and China must respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

Tensions in the sensitive Taiwan Strait remained high throughout 2024, especially after Lai Ching-te became the new president of the island in May, a person whom Beijing considers a separatist.

Earlier this month, China conducted a large naval force buildup around Taiwan and also in the East and South China Seas. The maneuvers took place after Lai made stops in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam during a Pacific trip, which was heavily criticized by Beijing.

China, which has never ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, conducted two rounds of military exercises around the island last year. Beijing stated that these drills were a warning against separatist acts and promised to take further measures if necessary.

Xi Jinping has repeatedly stated that he considers Taiwan to be an inseparable part of China and has expressed his intention to reunite the island with the People’s Republic of China. He has been the most aggressive in attempting to conquer and annex Taiwan through military means.

Taiwan’s leader, Lai Ching-te, confirmed that China views the annexation and elimination of Taiwan’s independence as a major national cause.