Europe, which has long relied on the United States for defense capabilities, is expected to speed up its push for security self-reliance.
Compiling reports from major outlets including Le Monde and AP on the 26th, President Macron said at a debate held in Athens, Greece, on the 25th (local time) that "Article 42(7) of the European Union (EU) treaty is stronger in substance than Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)." On the same day, Macron signed a plan with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to extend by five years the security agreement concluded in 2021.
Article 42(7) of the EU treaty stipulates that when a specific member state suffers an armed attack, other member states must provide support by mobilizing all available means. Macron said, "This clause firmly guarantees solidarity among member states and leaves no alternative." This is interpreted as effectively meaning a move to break away from the U.S.-led NATO umbrella and build a Europe-only, independent security network.
Macron noted that the U.S. attitude of downplaying alliances is not a temporary phenomenon. Over the years, President Trump belittled NATO as a "paper tiger," saying NATO was not actively deploying troops in the Iran war. Macron said, "We must not overlook that the presidents of the United States, Russia and China all strongly oppose Europe," stressing that Europe must reinvent itself as a great power that protects its own interests.
He went on to stress that the EU's collective defense principle is not a mere declaration but is already operating powerfully in real-world situations. European countries including France and Greece moved immediately to provide military support when, on Feb. 28, with the outbreak of the Iran war, a British air base located in Cyprus came under a drone attack from Iran. Referring to this, Macron said, "Article 42(7) is not an empty phrase," adding, "It clearly proved how we should respond when a European ally is threatened."
Security experts are also strongly backing the security self-reliance course led by Macron. Thijs Reuten, a member of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said in an official European Parliament statement that "Article 42(7) is not ceremonial language but must function in practice." He said, "This is not intended to compete with NATO but is an essential process for Europe to stand on its own two feet and become a security actor that the world can trust."