Emmanuel Macron has spoken up for Europe’s ability to defend itself, saying the mutual assistance clause in the EU treaty is clear and “not just words.”
The French president said the pact had already been put into action when several member states sent military aid to Cyprus after a drone attack on a British airbase there on February 28.
“Article 42, paragraph 7 is not just words,” Macron said. “We know that for us, it is clear, and there is no room for interpretation or ambiguity.”
Speaking in Greece, where he was renewing a bilateral strategic defense agreement, Macron described the clause as “stronger” than Article 5 of NATO’s collective defense clause. He repeated his long-held belief that Europe would be better off boosting its own security rather than relying on an increasingly unpredictable US under Donald Trump. “I really believe this US approach will last,” he said.
A day earlier, EU leaders at an informal council in Cyprus said they were fine-tuning plans for how the obscure clause would work in practice. On Friday, European Council President António Costa said: “We are designing the handbook on how to use this mutual assistance clause.”
Macron questioned the effectiveness of NATO’s Article 5 when asked about the military alliance and its founding principle, under which members come to each other’s aid if attacked.
“There is now doubt about Article 5, not raised by the Europeans but by the US president,” he told the audience during a discussion with the Greek prime minister in Athens’ picturesque Roman-era agora. “It is clearly a de facto weakening of the NATO alliance… I strongly believe in the European pillar of NATO, and my view is that we should strengthen this pillar.”
His Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, seemed to agree, calling the decision to rush fighter jets and naval support to Cyprus “a gamechanger” for the bloc.
Amid fears that the EU’s easternmost member could face sustained retaliatory attacks in the early days of the US-Israeli war against Iran, France, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal quickly sent assistance to the island.
“What we did in Cyprus was a gamechanger,” said Mitsotakis, insisting it was time to take the little-known defense pact seriously.
“We have a mutual assistance clause in our treaties, and this is our European responsibility. We never talked about it because we thought NATO would always handle it… We need to take this article much more seriously. We need to learn from what happened in Cyprus, think about what could happen in another case, and run exercises on what it would mean to offer support to a European country under threat.”
Doing so would be a “political statement” that the EU doesn’t only rely on NATO, and it would “also be good for NATO,” he added.
Frustrated by NATO’s failure to support strikes against Iran, the US president has stepped up criticism of the transatlantic alliance, raising further concerns that Washington’s support for Article 5 can no longer be guaranteed.
Macron, making his third official visit to Greece before leaving office next year, said the strong alliance between the two countries should serve as a model for the rest of the EU.
On Saturday, an unprecedented nine agreements were signed between the countries, covering increased cooperation in areas like scientific research and nuclear technology. Macron vowed that France would stand by Greece if it ever came under attack from its neighbor and long-time regional rival, Turkey.
In 2017, Macron, then newly elected, used the dramatic setting of the ancient Pnyx beneath the Athens Acropolis to deliver a rousing policy speech on the future of Europe and the virtues of democracy.
Nine years later, the tone could not have been more different.In a time of such geopolitical uncertainty, he said, Europe needed to “wake up” and take its place as a geopolitical power, facing opponents it had never encountered before.
“We shouldn’t underestimate this unique moment, when a U.S. president, a Russian president, and a Chinese president are all against the Europeans,” he told the audience. Now, he added, it was up to a continent that had managed to end centuries of civil war and deliver prosperity to “write the next chapter and become a geopolitical power.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Macrons statement on the EUs mutual defence clause written in a natural tone with clear concise answers
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is the EUs mutual defence clause
Its a rule in the EU treaty that says if one EU country is attacked the other member states must help it with all the means they have Its like a one for all all for one promise
2 Did Macron say this clause is just words
No he said the opposite He said its more than just wordsmeaning its a real binding commitment that EU countries must take seriously and act on not just a symbolic promise
3 What did Macron mean by more than just words
He meant the clause isnt just a political statement Its a legal obligation that requires concrete actionlike sending troops weapons or other supportif a member state is attacked
4 Why is Macron talking about this now
Hes likely responding to security concerns in Europe especially the war in Ukraine He wants to remind everyone that the EU has its own defence mechanism not just relying on NATO or the US
5 Does this clause work like NATOs Article 5
Yes its similar NATOs Article 5 says an attack on one is an attack on all The EU clause works the same way but its for EU members only
AdvancedLevel Questions
6 Has the EUs mutual defence clause ever been used
Yes once France invoked it in 2015 after the Paris terrorist attacks Other EU members provided military support in Syria and Iraq Thats the only time its been triggered so far
7 Whats the difference between the EU clause and NATOs Article 5 in practice
NATO has a standing military command and forces The EU clause is more flexiblecountries decide how to help NATO is harder to opt out of the EU clause allows member states to choose their level of support
8 Does the EU clause apply to hybrid attacks or cyberattacks
Its
