- Title: Fillon presents its vision for Europe in Berlin
- Date: 23rd January 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JANUARY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF KONRAD ADENAUER STIFTUNG BUILDING VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FRANCOIS FILLON ARRIVING AUDIENCE APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING: "My Europe protects Europeans, gives them jobs, defends our economic interests and controls our borders. My Europe must be the home of liberty, innovation and culture. My Europe is independent and stands up when faced with the threats that surrounds it." FILLON SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING: "I see Europe as a civilisation, a civilisation that as such must be defended. And today, I ring the alarm bells. Europe should expand our power but instead is reducing it. It (Europe) should make decisions, but in reality it hesitates most of the times. It should simplify things, but it actually makes things more complex." AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING: "France and Germany must quickly find an agreement to reinforce the growth within the framework of the euro zone, to protect our borders, and to finally establish, after decades of giving up, a real European power. Only under these conditions can the European continent defend its place between the United States of Donald Trump, the Russia of (President) Mr. (Vladimir) Putin, and China." AUDIENCE FILLON'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING (ON BREXIT): "In the negotiations which are beginning with Great Britain, we must defend a clear line. You can't be in and out at the same time. You can't have access to the European Union's market without respecting the rules it’s built on. The four freedoms of the European internal market cannot be put into question or picked a la carte." FILLON SPEAKING / HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, FRANCOIS FILLON, SAYING: "The more we isolate Russia, the more it uses its power unilaterally, and the more it turns towards Asia. I am telling you my beliefs: Russia's has the purpose, for me, of being a major partner for European nations. We need to reinforce our cooperation to face the terrorist threat. It's also within our interest to develop our trade." VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE FILLON LEAVING STAGE
- Embargoed: 6th February 2017 18:12
- Keywords: Fillon French presidential candidate France former prime minister Republicans
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00160AYO1Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon said on Monday (January 23) the European Union must better defend its people, borders and economic interests.
"My Europe protects Europeans, gives them jobs, defends our economic interests and controls our borders. My Europe must be the home of liberty, innovation and culture. My Europe is independent and stands up when faced with the threats that surrounds it," he said.
"I see Europe as a civilisation, a civilisation that as such must be defended."
Fillon, a former prime minister under ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, said that France and Germany must work together in order to uphold a strong position against the U.S., Russia and China.
"France and Germany must quickly find an agreement to reinforce the growth within the framework of the euro zone, to protect our borders, and to finally establish, after decades of giving up, a real European power. Only under these conditions can the European continent defend its place between the United States of Donald Trump, the Russia of (President) Mr. (Vladimir) Putin, and China," he said.
Fillon, who was last year called an "upstanding person" by Russian President Vladimir Putin, also said that isolating Russia would only cause the country to turn to the East.
He is the frontrunner in opinion polls but his ratings have dropped slightly and surveys predict an increasingly tight race between him, far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen and independent centrist Emmanuel Macron. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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