French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly defended the European Union’s mutual defence clause, insisting that Article 42(7) of the EU treaty is unambiguous and has already been put into action. Speaking in Athens alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron cited the recent deployment of military aid to Cyprus as proof of Europe’s ability to defend itself.
Macron described the clause as “stronger” than NATO’s Article 5, questioning the reliability of the transatlantic alliance under a US president who has cast doubt on the founding principle. “There is now a doubt on Article 5, not put on the table by the Europeans but by the US president,” he said, calling it “a de facto weakening of the NATO alliance”.
Mitsotakis echoed Macron’s sentiment, calling the coordinated response to Cyprus “a gamechanger” for the bloc. France, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal sent fighter jets and naval support after a drone attack on a British base on the island. “We need to take this article much more seriously,” Mitsotakis said, urging exercises to prepare for future threats.
Macron, making his third official visit to Greece before leaving office next year, stressed that Europe must “wake up” as a geopolitical power. He warned that the US, Russian and Chinese presidents are all “dead against the Europeans”, making it a unique moment for the continent to bolster its own security. France and Greece signed nine accords covering areas from scientific research to nuclear technology, with Macron vowing to stand by Greece if attacked.
