French President Emmanuel Macron was invited to give a speech to MPs and peers during his state visit, who gathered in the packed-out Royal Gallery in Parliament
President Macron says ‘long live’ to friendship between UK and France
French President Emmanuel Macron has said Brexit was “deeply regrettable” but quitting the bloc doesn’t mean Britain has left Europe.
In a historic address to Parliament, he warned the peaceful world order is being “attacked on a daily basis” and the UK and France were united in facing down these threats. He took a veiled swipe at Donald Trump by vowing Europe would never abandon Ukraine
Mr Macron also said France and Britain will work closely to tackle the small boat crisis in the Channel, which he described as a “burden” on both nations.
The French President was invited to give a speech to MPs and peers in Parliament’s Royal Gallery on the first day of his lavish state visit, hosted by King Charles. To laughter, he joked: “We love monarchy, especially when it’s not at home.”
His address turned sombre as he said France would never forget Britain’s support during the First and Second World Wars, and praised Sir Winston Churchill’s vision in building a post-war order.
READ MORE: UK locked in talks over one-in-one-out small boats returns deal with France
But he said this vision of “a world order based on law, justice and respect for territorial integrity” was “today being attacked on a daily basis as we witness direct attacks on our democracies, the return of war on our continent, the resurgence of imperial impulses and the flouting of international rules by destabilising powers”.
He warned that “every time Vladimir Putin’s Russia advances in Ukraine, the threat moves closer to us all”. But he vowed: “Europeans will never abandon Ukraine, never.”
Mr Macron called for a ceasefire in Gaza without conditions, and urged Hamas to release all the hostages it has held since the October 7 attacks. The French President also put pressure on the UK to recognise a Palestinian state, saying it was the only way to peace.
He also pointed to the “burden” on both Britain and France from the small boats crisis and promised tangible results to end the vile trade of people smugglers trafficking desperate people across the Channel.
Brexit was “deeply regrettable”, he said, but he said he respected the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. He said it had taken a few years but both sides have agreed to the basis of a new relationship – and praised Mr Starmer’s efforts to build closer ties.
He said: “Our two countries are among the oldest sovereign nations in Europe, and sovereignty means a lot to both of us, and everything I referred to was about sovereignty, deciding for ourself, choosing our technologies, our economy, deciding our diplomacy, and deciding the content we want to share and the ideas we want to share, and the controversies we want to share.
“Even though it is not part of the European Union, the United Kingdom cannot stay on the side lines because defence and security, competitiveness, democracy – the very core of our identity – are connected across Europe as a continent.”
He closed his speech to a standing ovation, saying: “Let’s be sure 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 of our times, would be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.”
Heads of state and visiting dignitaries are occasionally invited to address Parliament, with US Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, previously speaking to MPs and peers in this room.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a speech in Westminster Hall in 2023, where he urged Britain to give him “wings for freedom” to counter Russian aggression.
The choice of venue for Mr Macron’s speech raised eyebrows as the grand setting features large murals of the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo, two great 19th century military defeats for the French at the hands of the British and their allies.
Passing peers told journalists that a previous French president requested the murals were covered during a past state visit. Some claimed it was Charles de Gaulle, others insisted it was Jacques Chirac.
Mr Macron’s state visit is the first by a French President in 17 years, when Nicolas Sarkozy was a guest of the late Queen Elizabeth.
The French President and his wife Brigitte were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales when they arrived at RAF Northolt this morning before travelling to Windsor Castle to join the King and Queen for lunch.
He also visited Westminster Abbey, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, and then travelled the short distance to Parliament.
Mr Macron’s visit to Britain comes amid talks between the UK and France on a deal to stem the flow of small boats crossing the Channel.
Negotiations are expected to go down to the wire over a so-called “one in, one out” deal to allow the UK to send Channel migrants back to France in return for allowing asylum seekers from Europe with a legitimate claim to join relatives in Britain.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister hailed investment by French energy giant EDF in the Sizewell C nuclear plant as “a vote of confidence in the UK as an investment destination”. However the company appears to be reducing its stake for 16.2% to 12.5%.
Mr Macron also confirmed that the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle Of Hastings, will return to England for the first time in more than 900 years. The tapestry will arrive in the UK at the British Museum next year on loan from France.
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