French President Emmanuel Macron pleaded Wednesday for a “bolder”
and
“less regulated”
Europe of industry and energy
, on the second day of his state visit to Sweden.
This second day focuses on economic cooperation between the two countries, innovation in the face of climate and digital challenges, and ends with a debate on democracy with students.
Emmanuel Macron spoke to French and Swedish business leaders in Stockholm on Wednesday morning, pleading for Europe to stop
“over-regulating”
in industrial matters compared to the United States and China and to stimulate investments.
“We need a smarter European industrial policy
,” he said.
We need
“more investment, more single market and fewer regulations
,” added the French president, for whom the European economy risks becoming
“out of sync”
with the United States and China.
In terms of energy, he also called for a
“faster and bolder”
European policy as well as the accelerated development of a low-carbon electricity market.
“Europe must stop regulating hydrogen and other uses of electricity sources
,” he said.
He finally called for greater investments in sectors critical to the European economy: defense, space, artificial intelligence and green technologies.
On Tuesday, he praised growing cross-investments and the
“historic level”
of trade in goods and services between the two countries, to the tune of 22 billion euros.
Paris and Stockholm have signed an expansion of their strategic innovation partnership, deepening cooperation in nuclear, defense and forestry.
Welcomed with the splendor specific to a state visit to the Scandinavian kingdom, the president called on Tuesday the European Union for
“courageous”
decisions to accelerate and amplify its military support for Ukraine.
Read also: Anger of farmers: Emmanuel Macron's Swedish counter-programming defeated by current events
A busy schedule for the president
In the university town of Lund, Emmanuel Macron is due to visit in the afternoon the European Spallation Source (ESS), a scientific research facility expected to become the most powerful neutron source in the world, co-financed by France with 12 others European countries.
The two countries want to strengthen their cooperation in civil nuclear power.
Always accompanied by the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, he will also visit the Alfa Laval company, whose activities are, according to the Élysée,
“at the heart of the ecological transition of industry”
.
For the French president and the Swedish leaders, it is a question of establishing themselves as European leaders in terms of innovation
“faced with the challenge of the green and digital transition”
, as explained by Emmanuel Macron's entourage.
Finally, at Lund University, he will participate in
“Studentafton”
, a time of exchange with students, a real institution of this partner establishment in Saclay, near Paris.
At the heart of the debates,
“the challenges of resilience of European democratic societies”
, less than five months before the European elections which could see the far right make strong progress.
In France, the National Rally is currently leading the polls, far ahead of the presidential camp, a situation which may resonate in Sweden, where conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson leads a coalition government supported by the Democratic Party. far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), which however has no ministers.