Emmanuel Macron at inauguration stresses need for unity among EU members

Emmanuel Macron called on the French to
support his newly elected government’s efforts to fight Russia and attacks on
democracy. The French President made the call at the inauguration ceremony at
the Elysee Palace which marked the beginning of his second term as the
President.

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Macron also urged people to work on
building greater unity across Europe and promote more social equality at home.

The ceremony was attended by 500 guests.
Notable names were former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy,
former prime ministers Edouard Philippe, Manuel Valls, Alain Juppe and
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, as well as religious leaders and other state figures.

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“The French people made the choice of a
clear and explicit project for the future. A Republican and European project. A
project for independence in a destabilized world,” Macron told an audience in
Paris on Saturday.

The President said he has been
re-elected with “a new mandate that will be one of resolute action for France
and for Europe, first to avoid any escalation following the Russian aggression
in Ukraine, and to have the courage to build a new European peace and new
autonomy on our continent.”

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The 44-year-old politician, who assumed
office in May 2017, defeated Marine Le Pen, his far-right rival, by bagging 58
% of the vote in the second round of France’s presidential election on April
25. His victory now made him the senior-most national leader among the European
Union member nations. Macron won the elections despite facing criticism from
both the right and left aligned people that he had failed to live up to his
initial promises when first elected in 2017.

“We will act tirelessly with a goal of
being a more independent nation, to live better, and to build French and
European responses to the challenges of our century,” Macron added.