Emmanuel Macron’s victory speech, following his triumph in the French presidential election, raised eyebrows as he chose to herald his success with the EU’s Anthem of Europe, ‘Ode to Joy,’ instead of France’s national anthem, La Marseillaise. While his predecessors had traditionally used the iconic French anthem, Macron’s choice emphasized his allegiance to the European project.
The Front National, the losing party that advocates for France’s withdrawal from the European Union, condemned Macron’s display of support for the faltering EU. Despite Macron’s assurance to defend both France and Europe and strengthen the links between Europe and its people, critics viewed his decision as a symbol of European subservience.
While Macron did join the crowd in singing La Marseillaise at the end of his speech, French voters on social media quickly criticized his initial choice. ‘Ode to Joy,’ composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1824 and adopted by the EU in 1985, has been associated with European unity and was used by the Unified Team of Germany in the Olympics.
Macron’s Europhile stance, evident throughout his campaign, has positioned him as a clear opponent of Brexit, branding it a “crime” in his manifesto. He has pledged to take a tough stance in the Brexit negotiations, emphasizing the need to preserve the unity of the EU. Macron advocates for a hard Brexit that would exclude Britain from the single market, safeguarding the interests of EU member states. His strict approach aims to prevent a precedent that might encourage other nations to leave, thus preserving the foundational principles of the European Union.
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