French President Emmanuel Macron gave a traditional new year’s eve speech – the eighth of his tenure – on Tuesday evening before the midnight fireworks.
His 11-minute address largely focused on the political instability of 2024, notably around his decision to dissolve the Assemblée nationale early and call new elections that returned a new set of MPs and a fractured parliament.
He also discussed some of the positive moments of 2024 in France.
We cover the key points of his speech below.
‘Responsibility’ for political situation
He said he takes “full responsibility” for the dissolution of the Assemblée nationale and early legislative elections in June and July.
The decision has “led to more instability than peace” despite his intentions, he said, saying the move “had not been fully understood”.
Allies of the president, including then-prime minister Gabriel Attal, have publicly stated they did not agree with the dissolution decision.
The new Assemblée is divided into three blocs – comprising the far-left and left alliance, centrists and right-wing MPs, and far-right – each occupying around a third of seats but refusing to work with each other, creating political gridlock.
The disarray led to a successful vote of no confidence against former prime minister Michel Barnier – Macron’s appointment to the post at the end of summer after the elections – in only the second successful motion of its kind in the history of the Fifth Republic.
Read more: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigns after no-confidence vote passes
However, Mr Macron claimed the diverse make-up of MPs shows “the country in all its diversity and therefore also in its divisions,” and is “fully legitimate” in its representation of France.
He urged MPs to come together to create a “collective recovery… and stability” under new prime minister François Bayrou, with 2025 being “a year of action.”
New elections for MPs cannot be held until at least one year after the previous elections (so no earlier than June/July 2025).
Hint at referendums
The president said 2025 would be a year where he “asked the French to decide on important issues.”
Although there may be a new round of legislative elections, Mr Macon is interpreted as referring to national referendums on certain key topics, a move he has often hinted at but not formally enacted.
These referendums may take place on issues such as euthanasia/assisted suicide or on climate change-based legislation, reports the public service broadcaster Franceinfo, which says it was informed by the presidential palace on the potential topics after the speech.
Referendums may also come in the form of a multi-question ballot – less likely to be seen as a barometer of the president’s popularity as a single-topic referendum would.
Charles de Gaulle resigned as president in 1969 after a referendum on reshaping France’s political institutions including the Senate and regional authorities was rejected, seeing it as a personal defeat on his position.
At the same time, a referendum on a key single-issue topic would allow the president to bypass the divided Assemblée nationale on the matter, whatever it be.
Nothing has been officially announced, however.
The president may also organise new citizens’ conventions (conventions citoyennes) to discuss political issues, a move he made in the wake of the violent yellow vests (gilets jaunes) protests in his first term.
Read more: Comment: Macron's Grand Débat for French 'yellow vest' protests was pointless
European ‘wake-up call’
“‘Europeans must put an end to naivety,” the president said, in regards to new trade and agriculture laws.
The EU should “say no to anything that makes us dependent on others without compensation and without preparing for our future,” he said, possibly hinting at the EU’s proposed free trade agreement with Mercosur countries in South America.
French farmers are vehemently opposed to the deal and have frequently protested against it.
Read more: Farmers’ union threatens disruption to Paris and surrounds this weekend
“On the contrary, we need a European awakening, a scientific, intellectual, technological and industrial awakening, an agricultural, energy and ecological awakening,” the president said.
“To achieve this, we need to move faster, take our decisions more quickly and more strongly as Europeans, and simplify our rules,” he added.
Focus on 2024 positives
Most of the speech focused on France’s political situation - but he also highlighted successes of 2024.
These included the 80th commemoration of the D-Day landings, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the re-opening of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris after the 2019 fire.
Read more: Key quotes from King Charles, Macron and Biden at D-Day commemorations
Read more: What will be the legacy of the Paris Olympics?
Read more: Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens - to the great joy of this fervent fan from Canada
“Together, this year, we have proved that impossible is not French,” said the president, asking people to “keep the best of what we have been,” in 2024.
