<div class="css-1r2sn2n e1mdktgm0"><section class="css-u7urgs ez8v1gi0"><div class="css-b4a1pi e1u9wqfn0"><span class="css-x8vgju e6e0kfy0"><a href="/europe/" data-analytics="sidebar:section"><span>Europe</span></a></span><span class="css-rjcumh e1vi1cqp0"> | Transcript </span></div><h1 class="css-1p83fk8 e1r8fcie0">Emmanuel Macron in his own words (English)</h1><h2 class="css-1ms10sa eg03uz0">The French president’s interview with The Economist</h2></section></div><div class="css-kpd7oo e1mdktgm0"><section class="css-1ugvd2u e18wk22u0"></section></div><div class="css-1r2sn2n e1mdktgm0"><div class="css-9ij950 e1rprpb40"><div class="css-f1to7x e1x31cqm0"><div class="css-jwv1ak ejfltsf0"><div class="css-w0h03k eygoqsu0"><div><time datetime="2024-05-02T08:45:05.601Z" class="css-1c8ktq7 e4cw3vv0"> May 2nd 2024</time></div><div><div class="css-1902i5q eygoqsu0"></div></div></div></div></div><section data-body-id="cp2" class="css-k2wbwk ed4x7ae1"><div class="css-1a2ik1p ed4x7ae2"><p data-component="paragraph" class="css-1f0x4sl e1tt35bk0"><i>Editor’s note: The interview was conducted at the Elysée Palace in Paris on April 29th. The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/05/02/emmanuel-macron-in-his-own-words-french">French transcript</a> has been lightly edited for clarity. This English translation was done by</i> The Economist</p><p data-component="paragraph" class="css-1f0x4sl e1tt35bk0"><b>The Economist:</b> In your speech at the Sorbonne, you said that “Europe can die”. What does that actually mean? What is at stake?</p></div></section><div class="css-p5pbwb e14gikav1"><h3 class="css-tu4cp8 e14gikav0">Explore more</h3><nav aria-labelledby="article-tags"><a class="ds-emphasised-link ds-emphasised-link--secondary" href="/topics/france" data-analytics="tags:france"><span>France</span></a></nav></div><div class="css-dv5w6c e1tda7ck0"><div class="css-19gx9y0 ejfltsf0"><div class="css-15sn8g1 eygoqsu0"><div><div class="css-9mn5vp eygoqsu0"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

<div class="css-mqgbir ea9fiz30"><div class="css-j472os e1nb91wc1"><div class="css-1gljmzf e8tkvfk0"><div class="css-1n611c3 e1mdktgm0"><div class="css-1b409a9 eis2tu50"><div class="css-1v8gmu2 e1jjvxhk0"><figure class="css-1njzmap e1197rjj0"><img theme="[object Object]" alt="" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="auto" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" sizes="(min-width: 1440px) 700px, (min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 960px) 66vw, 95vw" srcset="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 256w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=360,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 360w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=384,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 384w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=480,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 480w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 600w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=834,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 834w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=960,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 960w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1096,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 1096w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1280,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 1280w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg 1424w" src="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP504.jpg"></figure></div><div class="css-0 e1ik1iw00"><h3 class="css-107bvwz e7j57mt0"><a href="/europe/2024/05/02/emmanuel-macron-in-his-own-words-french" data-analytics="more_from:headline_1">Emmanuel Macron in his own words (French)</a></h3><p class="css-llqkfq e7x1xmz0">The French president’s interview with The Economist</p></div></div></div><div class="css-1olanph e1mdktgm0"><div class="css-wb96fl eis2tu50"><div class="css-1px0skd e1jjvxhk0"><figure class="css-1njzmap e1197rjj0"><img theme="[object Object]" alt="" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="auto" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" sizes="(min-width: 1440px) 700px, (min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 960px) 66vw, 95vw" srcset="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 256w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=360,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 360w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=384,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 384w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=480,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 480w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 600w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=834,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 834w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=960,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 960w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1096,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 1096w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1280,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 1280w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg 1424w" src="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP001.jpg"></figure></div><div class="css-0 e1ik1iw00"><h3 class="css-1jzypbl e7j57mt0"><a href="/europe/2024/05/02/how-to-rescue-europe" data-analytics="more_from:headline_2">How to rescue Europe</a></h3><p class="css-llqkfq e7x1xmz0">An interview with Emmanuel Macron</p></div></div><hr class="css-16c9eiw e8tkvfk1"><div class="css-wb96fl eis2tu50"><div class="css-1px0skd e1jjvxhk0"><figure class="css-1njzmap e1197rjj0"><img theme="[object Object]" alt="" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="auto" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" sizes="(min-width: 1440px) 700px, (min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 960px) 66vw, 95vw" srcset="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 256w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=360,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 360w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=384,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 384w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=480,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 480w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 600w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=834,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 834w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=960,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 960w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1096,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 1096w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1280,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 1280w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg 1424w" src="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240504_EUP502.jpg"></figure></div><div class="css-0 e1ik1iw00"><h3 class="css-1jzypbl e7j57mt0"><a href="/europe/2024/04/28/dodging-the-draft-in-fearful-ukraine" data-analytics="more_from:headline_3">Ukraine’s draft dodgers are living in fear</a></h3><p class="css-llqkfq e7x1xmz0">Ever more conscripts are needed against Russia’s offensive</p></div></div></div><hr class="css-670k81 e8tkvfk1"></div></div></div>

The French president’s interview with The Economist{ai:summary}<p>French President Emmanuel Macron discusses the potential demise of Europe and the need to rescue it in an interview with The Economist. Macron emphasizes the importance of addressing the challenges facing Ukraine amid tensions with Russia. #foreignaffairs</p>

Emmanuel Macron in his own words (English)

Emmanuel Macron in his own words (English)

The French president’s interview with The Economist

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Emmanuel Macron in his own words (French)

How to rescue Europe

Ukraine’s draft dodgers are living in fear

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