- 7/8/2025
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Mr. Prime Minister, Madam, honorable ministers, Mr. Speaker, Lord Speaker, honorable members
00:19of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank
00:28you, Speaker, for your kind words and greatly appreciate everyone's warm welcome. On behalf
00:35of my wife, Brigitte, and myself and my whole delegation, thank you very much for that.
00:42And it is a very great honor to speak before the two Houses of the British Parliament, a
00:48place composed of both a high chamber and a low chamber, a place of history bygone and
00:55history in the making, a place where modern democracy emerged and the principles of democratic
01:02representation and consent were born. In making its own rules, your great people has inspired
01:11among the rest of the world, and in particular, my compatriots, who regard you with respect,
01:19is more than a bit of admiration. In France, Montesquieu and Rousseau drew from the works
01:27of Locke to such an extent that the lettres philosophiques by Rousseau are often referred to as letters
01:34on the English in my country. But please, do not misunderstand me. I am not going so far
01:44as to say that England gave birth to the French Revolution. However, I have to confess that
01:52we love monarchy, but especially when it is not at home. But I really believe that from
02:00the Magna Carta to America's Declaration of Independence in 1776 and France's Declaration
02:07of the Rights of Man and Citizens in 1789, a same pathway emerged towards democratic order
02:16and the rule of law. And so many times this shared path was forged in the brotherhood of arms. So
02:25many times it followed the small trails of the Ardennes and the Vosges mountains under the hail
02:31of German bullets from 1914 to 1918. So many times it almost veered off course, taken up by our
02:41common ancestors, reconquering the Normandy coast inch by inch under the glaring sun of June 1944.
02:48And I would like to thank Prime Minister Starmer, dear Kier, for attending the ceremonies of the 11th
02:56of November last year, honoring our fallen soldiers, the British Red Poppy alongside the Bleuets de France,
03:05becoming the first British head of government to spend Armistice Day in Paris in 80 years. Thank you.
03:13The French people shall never forget the sacrifices British people made to protect Europe and the world
03:32during the two world wars, and to uphold with fierce determination the promise of our Entente Cordiale.
03:41We shall never forget the support of the asylum your forefathers gave to the free French forces
03:47in the fight against the barbarism of the Nazis. Sir Winston Churchill was one of the visionaries
03:56who had the foresight to help forge a strong transatlantic alliance and to come up with a peaceful European
04:04order in which he deeply believed. He passed this same vision on to us of a world order based on law,
04:14justice and respect for territorial integrity. An order that is today being attacked on a daily basis as we
04:23witness direct attacks on our democracies, the return of war to our continent, the resurgence of imperial impulses
04:32and the floating of international rules by destabilizing powers who are attempting to divide up the world to their advantage.
04:41Speaker, you and your predecessors have become famous, I have to say, even in France,
04:50for your way of restoring order in the courts with your imperial and imperious exclamations,
04:56order, order. And today, we wish to join you in shooting out order, order with you to calm the onerists in the world.
05:09As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, deeply committed to multilateralism,
05:15the United Kingdom and France must once again show the world that our alliance can make all the difference.
05:27Clearly, we have to work together in order to defend an efficient multilateralism
05:34and to protect the international order as we fought it after the Second World War.
05:51And first, in supporting Ukraine, which has been illegally attacked by both running the support of Europeans
06:03and coordinating with the Americans to create the necessary conditions for a robust and solid, lasting peace.
06:12I want to commend your country.
06:15Since the first day, and even before the first day, you were part of the closest ally of Ukraine,
06:21training the army, being here the first day to protect President Zelensky, his government,
06:31and allowing the forces just to resist, as you did decades ago with my country.
06:37And together, we worked very hard during the past few years in order to stand with the Ukrainian people,
06:46just helping them to resist.
06:48We were right and we are right.
06:50And because every time Vladimir Putin's Russia advances in Ukraine, the threat moves closer to us all,
06:58we will never accept the theory that might is right.
07:01And I want to be clear.
07:03This is why together with you, Mr. Prime Minister, we decided to launch last February this coalition
07:10of the willing you mentioned.
07:12And this coalition was just a signal that the Europeans will never abandon Ukraine.
07:19Never.
07:19And whatever the decisions could be, elsewhere, we will fight till the very last minute
07:48in order to get this ceasefire, in order to start the negotiations to build this robust
07:54and sustainable peace.
07:57Because this is our security and our principles together, which are at stake in Ukraine.
08:04This is the possibility of a European peace.
08:08Our generation did enjoy during the past decade, which is at stake in Ukraine, nothing less.
08:14And together, we will follow up these efforts.
08:20We have also stood together in calling for the cessation of hostilities and path to peace
08:25in the Middle East, since the spiral of violence began after the terrorist attacks by Hamas on the 7th of
08:33October 2023.
08:36Together, we call for the release of all hostages.
08:40Together, we've called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
08:45It is a matter of absolute urgency to end the suffering of the hostages and of the Gazans.
08:52A war without end and without a strategic objective poses a huge threat to the region and our collective
09:01security.
09:03Today, a dehumanization is occurring there that can never be justified.
09:10Together, we are aware that a political way out is crucial.
09:16And I believe in the future of the two-state solution as a basis for a regional security
09:22architecture which will enable Israel to live in peace and security alongside its neighbors.
09:28But I want to be clear.
09:30Calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition is just telling to the rest of the world
09:42that for us, as Europeans, there is no double standard.
09:47And as we are attached to human lives, as we are attached to territorial integrity, we want the ceasefire.
09:54No discussion.
09:56And today, working together in order to recognize the state of Palestine and to initiate this political
10:02momentum is the only path to peace.
10:17Because since Oslo in 1993, with Gaza in Rome and West Bank being on a daily basis attacked,
10:32the perspective of a Palestinian state has never been put at risk as it is.
10:36And the objective of a recognition is not just making our duty, but this is as well reopening a political perspective
10:50and refusing just an answer based on security.
10:53And this is why the solution of the two states and the recognition of the state of Palestine is as well, according to me, the only way to build peace and stability for all in the whole region.
11:11This approach is in line with our common refusal to tolerate the threat posed by an Iran that possesses nuclear weapons.
11:19There again, we know all too well the limitations of solutions based on force and the temptation to bring about regime change.
11:29France, the United Kingdom and Germany, in coordination with all stakeholders, have the duty to bring about a stringent negotiation,
11:38which ensures international monitoring of Iran's nuclear program over the long term,
11:43thereby preserving the international non-proliferation framework as a foundation for collective security.
11:52It is with the same coherence and firmness that we must act to defend the world order.
11:59In Africa, our two countries have had a weighty past, which is why we can legitimately send a message of
12:06reconciliation and refusal of spheres of influence, of respect for economic and territorial sovereignty.
12:15In the Indo-Pacific, our history has made us a watchdog of the freedom of navigation and compliance with international law, which we defend.
12:26Amid these upheavals, the alliance between France and the United Kingdom has not faltered.
12:32It has even become stronger.
12:37Yes, during the past few years, this alliance became stronger.
12:43On defense and security, the Lancaster House treaties showed that we were willing to cooperate on the most sensitive subjects,
12:50regarding our sovereignty and our deterrence.
12:54When our two countries signed them, some clever people found a way to derive savings of resources from
12:59them, and others have even dubbed them the Entente Frugal.
13:03Yet, they have successfully provided structure for defense cooperation between our two countries
13:10for the past 15 years.
13:12At this bilateral summit, we will enter a new stage that will scale up this cooperation.
13:19And our two countries, the only European nuclear weapon states, the leading armed forces of the continent,
13:25together accounting for 40% of European military budgets, vote who fully shoulders the responsibility
13:32when it comes to European security.
13:34And we are faced with new threats, with aggressive nuclear powers, with sometimes hesitating alliances,
13:43and the return of major conflict on our continent.
13:46This is why, in two days, our summit is so important, and the announcement we prepared, so historical.
13:54The capabilities identified 15 years ago at Lancaster House must be increased dramatically,
14:00in proportion to the threat. Our industrial cooperation must also move to the next level,
14:06and our relation to Europe must change, even in the core of sovereignty.
14:12There is an expectation in Europe that, faced with revisionist neighbours,
14:17our two countries have a special responsibility for the security of the continent.
14:23And it is time to articulate it.
14:26And to paraphrase Pete's famous phrase, to make sure that not only our two countries will save themselves
14:33by their own exertions, but also that we will save Europe by our example and our solidarity.
14:41But we will return to this in more detail at the summit on Thursday, but very clearly.
14:47Taking the commitment to go to the 3.5 persons on defence in the years to come,
14:52in this country. It is not just a pile of money, but increasing our cooperation altogether,
14:59reducing our dependencies, and building a strong European pillar in NATO.
15:07We have to work together to cooperate as we did a few years ago in Sahel.
15:11We have to work together to ensure that the EU is a common program to increase the cooperation of our industries,
15:21and to make a more independent and stronger Europe of defence.
15:28Second, on climate and biodiversity. Together, we commit to the planet in the face of the new
15:34league of international reactionaries who deny science and facts.
15:39We also defend with one voice the implementation of our climate ambitions towards carbon neutrality,
15:45fading out fossil fuels, and protecting forests, which will be core issues of the upcoming COP30 in Belém.
15:52We are also acting together to achieve the ratification of the BB&G Treaty on the Protection of Oceans,
15:58mobilizing the private sector, reforming the official development assistance system in line with the
16:05Paris Pact for Peoples and Planets, where we work together. And we worked very actively,
16:11and still work together on biodiversity and biodiversity credits. The report we commissioned together,
16:18as Franco-British, during King Charles' state visit to France, is not just excellent,
16:25but we endorse it, and we will implement it. We will now continue to work together and implement this work.
16:35Third, on migration. And I have the feeling to be weighted on this issue as well in your country.
16:42Indeed, in this unstable world, hope for a better life elsewhere is legitimate, but we cannot allow our
16:50country's rules for taking in people to be flouted in criminal networks to cynically exploit the hopes of so
16:57many individuals with so little respect for human life. France and the United Kingdom have a shared
17:05responsibility to address irregular migration with humanity, solidarity and firmness. The decisions that we
17:13will take at our bilateral summit will respond to our aims for cooperation and tangible results on these
17:21major issues. Very clearly, we ask our Minister of domestic affairs to work very closely together,
17:29and I want to tell you it's a very close coordination and cooperation. But our objective, very clearly,
17:36is to have the best ever cooperation between our two countries in order to fix today what is a burden
17:45for our two countries. But let me remind as well, as we are making these bilateral efforts, as we are
17:55stepping up the level of our cooperation, a third of the people entering illegally into the Schengen area
18:02attempt to cross the Channel. And we will only arrive at a lasting and effective solution with, as well, the
18:10action at the European level and the cooperation, especially of the countries of the first century on the
18:16European soil, by continuing to work with the countries of departure and transit, of global migration routes, and as well,
18:24by addressing pull factors. But let's be clear, we will deliver together because these issues
18:32is a clear issue for our two countries. Fourth, an economy. Our trade has been revived and has even
18:43surpassed the pre-Brexit levels. The 3,500 French companies working in the UK remains the second leading
18:52foreign employers in your country, and vice versa. And we want to do more, and at the occasion of the
18:59summit as well. We will deliver additional results, additional investments, and very strategic investments
19:06in the energy and space fields where we have long-standing cooperation, but where we want
19:12to build a new step forward and open a new era. Since the last time a French prison spoke before you in 2008,
19:25Europe has changed. First of all, of course, because the sovereign British people choose
19:32to leave the European Union in 2016, a decision that we respect, even if we found it deeply regrettable.
19:39I am aware that I am the first European head of state to make a state visit since the United
19:45Kingdom left the European Union, and I take full account of the importance of this moment.
19:52It took us a few years, but we have agreed on the foundations for our new relationship,
20:00after the withdrawal agreement and the trade and cooperation agreement reinforced by the Winsor
20:06framework. And some of us worked very hard on all this text. I have great memories.
20:12I support Prime Minister Starmer's efforts as well to restore trust, ensure compliance with the
20:21agreement concluded, and strengthen this framework through targeted cooperation in our common interests.
20:27I welcome the fact that on the 19th of May, we were able to define a pragmatic roadmap between the
20:34European Union and the United Kingdom on defence, energy, climate and other issues.
20:42But just as leaving the European Union did not mean the United Kingdom left Europe,
20:49efforts to address the challenges facing all of Europe cannot be limited to the European Union alone.
20:55What is at stake today in Europe is our ability to shoulder the responsibility to ensure our continent's
21:04security ourselves to a greater extent. What is at stake today in Europe is our ability to invest in key
21:13technologies of the future – AI, quantum technologies, space, biotech, decarbonised energy sources and defence
21:22industry, as I mentioned – in order to avoid strategic dependencies and disengagement that would put us
21:29at risk, and especially the risk of a slow death, to mention Mario Draghi. Indeed, we have to de-risk our
21:41economies and our societies, first from the risk of the lack of innovation – and this is what we experienced
21:49during the past decade, if we compare our countries with the United States. But we will have as well to
21:56de-risk our two countries for the excessive dependencies on both the US and China. I do not put a sign equal
22:06between China and the US. We have a strong ally on one side, and a challenger, sometimes a partner when
22:12we speak about climate change with China. But let's be realistic. If the Europeans, if the United Kingdom
22:21and France do not work together in order to build solid value chain, in order to reduce our dependencies
22:30on this critical area as I mentioned, if we still depend on both China and the US, I think we have a clear view
22:39of our future and the future of our children. On one side, other capacities and other subsidies are clear threats
22:48of a fair trade. And they are destabilizing a lot of value chain and creating new dependencies. On the other side,
22:55the trade war is clearly an explicit decision not to be compliant anymore with WTO.
23:06And this du commerce we loved till now. We have no other choice if we want to be lucid,
23:15if we want to build a sustainable future for all children, to de-risk our economies and our societies
23:23from these dual dependencies. We want an open world. We want to cooperate, but not to depend.
23:30And each time we depend, each time we are not able to stand up and decide and agree to disagree,
23:36this is the beginning of our problem. We are in this situation. This is why we have to work very hard
23:43together on this technological and economic field in order to strengthen our value chains together and
23:54reduce these dependencies. But what is at stake as well today in Europe is the defense of democratic
24:00models amid foreign interference, information manipulation, domination of minds by negative emotions
24:06and addictions to social media. This is the big other risks. It is the same challenge we are facing when
24:14it comes to digital age, restrictions online and protecting our children from social media and screens,
24:21an issue brutally brought to the light three months ago by the British series Adolescence.
24:26And let's be clear, this is the same type of risk. Being vulnerable to algorithms designed in the US,
24:38being vulnerable to algorithms designed in China, with social networks not even allowed to the Chinese
24:46teenagers. This is being vulnerable to the interferences and misinformation coming from Russia.
24:56and other places. The strength of our democracies depend on our capacity
25:03to create new regulations in order to better protect our children and our democracies and our democratic
25:09debate, the relationship with science and truth. Otherwise, our future will be decided by those who will
25:18decide for this algorithm.
25:26And our two countries are among the oldest sovereign nations in Europe. And sovereignty means a lot to both of us.
25:46And everything I refer to was about sovereignty. Deciding for ourselves, choosing our technologies, our economy,
25:56deciding our diplomacy, and deciding the content we want to share, and the ideas we want to share, and the controversies we want to share.
26:05Even though, it is not part of the European Union, the United Kingdom cannot stay on the sidelines,
26:13because defence and security, competitiveness, democracy, the very core of our identity, are connected across Europe as a continent.
26:22And you understand me. The point is not to diverge. And to move forward side by side on these strategic choices we are facing to avert the risk of
26:40advancement, division, weakness. A certain idea of Europe, so dear to George Steiner, must continue to connect us today.
26:51And it is also the meaning behind the European political community, which has shown its ability to bring together
26:58the European family across the continent of Europe, to address the issues of stability, security,
27:06and cooperation between states in concrete terms.
27:12And the United Kingdom is playing a full role as it demonstrated a year ago at Blenheim Summit.
27:20I believe that our two countries will continue to be drivers of change, drivers of this wider Europe and this meaningful convergence.
27:30We must be able to count on our economic, academic, research, and cultural relations to together tackle these sovereign-related challenges.
27:42And I welcome the number of partnership agreements that our universities, museums, research institutions
27:49will sign in the margins of this visit. They will participate in our respective agenda to re-industrialization
27:56and strategic independence in key sectors, from artificial intelligence to culture.
28:03Our two countries are leaders in Europe when we refer to artificial intelligence.
28:08But the competition of the US and China is fierce, and Europe, on this point as well, needs to step up its
28:15investments. This is why we have to work as well, together.
28:19As the Channel Tunnel is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, let's make a wish here today.
28:29Let's not allow the Channel to grow wider.
28:34Although there are 300,000 French people living in the United Kingdom and 150,000 British people living in France,
28:42there has been a decrease in movement in recent years when it comes to school, university, professional and
28:49research exchanges. And today there is a risk that our societies are growing apart, that our young people
28:57do not know each other as well and may end up strangers, at a time when international current events remind us,
29:05on a daily basis of our common future. Let's fix it. Let's work together in order to facilitate the exchange of
29:14students, researchers, intellectuals, artists. This is so important. Let's allow our children to have the
29:24same opportunities as the one we had.
29:39Members of Parliament, my Lords, tomorrow, at the British Museum, we will officially announce an historical
29:59exchange. In the run-up to the 1000th anniversary of the birth of William the Conqueror, France,
30:09we will loan the United Kingdom, the Bayer Tapestry.
30:29I have to say it took probably more years to deliver this project than all the Brexit texts,
30:37because we launched it together with Prime Minister Theresa May at that time during a state, not a state
30:44visit, but a summit a few years ago. But at the end of the day, we did it. And the tapestry will be
30:51displaced in London, while the national museums of Rouen and Caen will receive the Sutton Hoo treasure on loan.
30:59And I think these mutual loans of these extraordinary national treasures will involve
31:06fascinating human exchanges, which will certainly be positive for our future in terms of culture.
31:11And let's see this exchange happening between summer 26 and summer 27 as the beginning of this new era of
31:22exchange and the reopening of this mutual movements. The times of William the Conqueror are over,
31:29happily. And the roles of charging cavalry as well. Our Entente Cordiale, sealed 126 years ago, has enabled our
31:40countries to bring their futures closer to protect Europe's strategic balances and to enter into an era of
31:47cooperation and competition, replacing our battlefields with football and rugby fields, as you mentioned.
31:57At the invitation of His Majesty, King Charles III, whom I should like to thank for his hospitality
32:05and his long-standing, very special relationship with my country, I came here today to renew
32:13the French people's message of friendship and fraternity. Yes. Finally, we meet again.
32:28And let's be sure that we will meet again for years and decades.
32:34We meet again for years and decades. Because we are linked by our geography, by our past, but we are linked
32:44by our common future. And the only way to overcome the challenges we have, the challenges of our times,
32:54will be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.
33:00This is our common destiny. Long live our friends, United Kingdom friendship. Long live the United Kingdom.
33:11Long live France.
Recommended
5:51
|
Up next
7:50
8:18