Journalist Jean Quatremer published as usual a bright comment on a French news with European meaning – President Macron rejected the idea of both leftist Jean-Luc Mélanchon and rightist Front National to substitute the EU flag with the UN one.

He announced on the contrary the EU flag and symbols will receive official recognition in France: http://bruxelles.blogs.liberation.fr/2017/10/10/macron-condamne-melenchon-vivre-avec-le-drapeau-europeen/

This little but meaningful event is but a new face of an old misunderstanding: Macron is decidely clarifying the playing field of the battle for European unity. Since the beginning of the European integration process, that I personally date back to World War I, we could see the same: world movements and advocacy for world integration as a paradoxical ally of conservative nationalism against European supranational institutions.

It's just like thinking you are going to promote your home-made cakes without even having a home nor a oven... The only result is you will keep selling second-hand cakes! 

In the very same way, we can see today that right and left extremists join forces to defend national sovereignties and to fancifully promote global institutions instead of European ones...

But we won't have global democracy until we show first that democracy can go supranational right here, in Europe, where the nation State model was born! We won't have more local and global justice, freedom, equality, security we take our responsibilities as Europeans. So, thank you Mr Macron for defending the EU flag: it's also the best way to strengthen global institutions.

Posted by Francesco Pigozzo - CesUE