Macron urges UK and France to reduce reliance on U.S. and China in rare Westminster address

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Britain and France to “de-risk” their economies from U.S. and Chinese influence during an historic address to the UK parliament on Tuesday, signalling a renewed push for closer European cooperation.

Macron’s speech, delivered to both houses of parliament during a state visit, marked the first such address by a European leader since Brexit and highlighted a symbolic warming of ties under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new Labour government.

“The only way to overcome the challenges of our time will be to go together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder,” Macron told lawmakers, urging both nations to strengthen cooperation on defence, immigration, climate and technology.

He warned of the “excessive dependencies” on the United States and China, calling for the UK and France to work together to protect European sovereignty and resilience. “We need to de-risk our economies and our societies from this dual dependency,” he said.

The state visit began with a ceremonial welcome by King Charles III, who was joined by Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine in Windsor. Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment, showed signs of fatigue but continued with his engagements. A palace source said a burst blood vessel in his eye was unrelated to his condition and had happened that morning.

Macron also advocated for expanded mobility for students, researchers and artists, and joint efforts on Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and online child protection.

The three-day visit included several cultural and economic exchanges, notably the announcement of a £1.1 billion (€1.2 billion) investment by French energy provider EDF in a UK nuclear power station, and plans to lend the Bayeux Tapestry to Britain for the first time in more than 900 years.

In parallel, UK and France are holding talks on a proposed asylum returns deal aimed at deterring cross-Channel people-smuggling. Britain has proposed a one-for-one returns mechanism, though France has so far resisted bilateral solutions, preferring EU-wide coordination.

Around 20,000 asylum seekers have crossed the English Channel so far this year according to latest figures from the Home Office. 

In the first seven days of July last week, 1,135 irregular migrants attempted to cross the sea according to government officials - increasing pressure on Starmer's government, which trails Reform UK in recent polling.

Despite lingering differences, both governments have cooperated closely on Ukraine, with joint plans for a military force to support Kyiv if a ceasefire with Russia is reached.

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