Macron says EU’s mutual defence clause ‘not just words’

Emmanuel Macron has spoken up for Europe’s ability to defend itself, saying a mutual assistance clause, enshrined in the EU treaty, was unambiguous and “not just words”. The French president said the pact had already been proved in action when several member states sent military aid to Cyprus after a drone attack against a British airbase on the island on 28 February. “On article 42, paragraph 7, it’s not just words,” the French leader said. “We know that for us, it ⁠is clear ‌and ‌there is no room ‌for interpretation or ‌ambiguity.” Macron, in Greece to renew a bilateral strategic defence agreement, described the clause as “stronger” than article 5, Nato’s collective defence clause, as he reiterated his long-held belief that Europe was better off boosting its own security than relying on an increasingly erratic US under Donald Trump. “I really believe this US approach will last,” he said. A day earlier, EU leaders, attending an informal council in Cyprus, said plans were being finessed on how the obscure clause would work in practice. Speaking on Friday, the European Council president, António Costa, said: “We are designing the handbook [on] how to use this mutual assistance clause.” Macron questioned the efficacy of the Nato article when asked about the military alliance and its founding principle under which members come to one another’s aid if they are attacked. …