Macron To Meet VdL In Paris As France Launches Council Presidency

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners travel to Paris today for a series of meetings and dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and his gov't following France's assumption of the chair of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 Jan.

• The priorities for the six-month French presidency were set out by Macron late in 2021, and encompass migration, climate, digital and social affairs. Initially, Macron had been seen as an advocate for using the French Council presidency to launch major reforms to the EU with regards to its structure in an effort to enhance its democratic credentials.
• However, the Omicron wave of COVID-19 infections and the looming campaign for the French presidential election in April have seemingly tempered these ambitions.
• For the coming months, the Council presidency and France's domestic political landscape will be closely intertwined. At the start of the year the French gov't dealt with a wave of criticism after the EU flag was flown from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to mark the French presidency. A number of EU leaders are believed to be wary of the French gov't seeking to play an extremely activist role as Council president in an effort to boost its electoral chances.