Xavier Bettel supports Emmanuel Macron's bid for re-election

As reported in the French press, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will head to Strasbourg on Thursday to support the French president in his re-election campaign. The French newspaper Le Figaro spoke to the Luxembourgish politician who said he "wanted to defend him".

Bettel explained that he has "the chance" to work with Macron in the European Council, describing the French President as someone "who really defends the European idea". According to French media, Luxembourg's Prime Minister was invited to the Strasbourg meeting by the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune.

Speaking to Le Figaro, Bettel recalled that the city of Strasbourg is "a European capital" and stressed the importance "of showing that the European spirit exists in this presidential campaign". The politician from the Democratic Party (DP) stressed that this spirit is embodied "by the current President of the French Republic".

In this context, the Prime Minister also mentioned the war in Ukraine. The people of Ukraine "want to get closer to European values," according to Bettel. Considering that these same values are "criticised" in some European countries, Bettel stated that he wants to defend a French President "who believes in a peace project".

The Prime Minister also warned of the "risk" that the election of a "populist" candidate would represent. "The alternative" to Macron, Bettel said, would be people "who praise themselves when times are good, and blame Brussels when times are bad". The Luxembourgish politician took the opportunity to take a dig at the candidate of the right-wing Rassemblement National by saying: "I am aware of the way Madame le Pen speaks".

For Bettel, "it is thanks to Europe that we can live in peace". In his interview with Le Figaro, he identified himself "with this generation of politicians who know the benefit of Europe" such as Charles Michel and Emmanuel Macron.