French presidential election to be decisive for future of all of Europe, says Klimkin

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin expressed this view in an interview with Ukrinform.

The diplomat noted the impact of presidential elections in EU countries on Ukraine’s European integration.

“For example, the upcoming presidential election in France. It will be decisive not only for us and our integration. It is decisive for the development of Europe as a whole. Since the French largely built today’s Europe based on what I would call a French, rational model, that is, the architects of today’s Europe largely come from France. I don’t want to downplay the role of the Germans, Italians, Dutch, Belgians—anyone—but France has iconic figures and significant influence on how Europe functions. And if there is any breakdown next year, it will be a breakdown of all of Europe, and therefore of our European integration,” the former foreign minister believes.

He also cited the upcoming elections in Germany as an important international event, noting that they could lead to a reshuffle of the ruling coalition, which would negatively impact Ukraine’s European integration.

“Furthermore, we should keep in mind that even if the pre-accession negotiations are successful, no one has ruled out the possibility of a referendum [on EU accession] in France. Or in the Netherlands or Hungary. And to win these referendums, we need very, very complex systemic solutions for how we work with these countries. This isn’t about working with individual politicians. Although the relationship between Presidents Zelensky and Macron is a positive development for us. But as you understand, it’s the French people who vote, not Macron. And as you can clearly see, most French people don’t like Macron—just look at any poll. There will also be a very difficult referendum in the Netherlands. And in Hungary, too. I think the Kremlin will do everything possible to ensure the referendum goes very badly. And this European issue is very important for us,” the diplomat noted.

In this regard, in his opinion, the Ukrainian government needs to actively use diplomacy at the regional level, establishing and developing as many regional partnerships as possible. After all, once hostilities in Ukraine have ended, the role of regional diplomacy in particular could become key to future European integration, Klimkin believes.

As reported by Ukrinform, former Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin predicts that Ukraine will face the most difficult negotiations regarding EU accession precisely with its neighboring countries.