Barnier urges stronger Europe at Monaco summit
By Laurent Duval, MonacoViews Editorial
Former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier addressed the Monaco Mediterranean Foundation, arguing for a more assertive European Union on the world stage.
Michel Barnier, the former French Prime Minister and the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, took to the podium at the Monaco Mediterranean Foundation this week to deliver a substantive assessment of Europe's standing in a shifting global order. Drawing on decades at the heart of European politics, he made the case that the bloc must develop greater strategic coherence if it is to hold its own against rival powers.
Barnier also turned his attention to France's domestic political horizon, with the 2027 presidential election increasingly shaping the conversation in Paris. His remarks carried particular weight given his direct experience navigating the UK's departure from the EU, a process that tested European unity as much as it tested British resolve.
For Monaco, which maintains its own carefully managed relationship with the EU through bilateral arrangements, debates about European direction are rarely abstract. The Principality's financial sector, residency framework, and cross-border workforce are all sensitive to the broader regulatory and political climate in Brussels and Paris. Events like this one, hosted by the Monaco Mediterranean Foundation, position the Principality as a forum where those conversations take place at the highest level.