The European Union must weaponise the power of erotic love to fight against nationalism, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking to The Economist on April 29 in an interview published on May 2, the French leader lambasted many pro-EU politicians as having already given into the “spirit of defeat”, something he said put Europe at risk of “a much more brutal death than you can imagine” at the hands of nationalists and other hostile forces.
Macron argued that the only way to combat such a deadly spirit – which he classified as Thanatos, seemingly in reference to neo-Freudian thought and the Greek mythological god of death – was to deploy Eros, the spirit of life, love and sexual attraction.
“Politics is Eros versus Thanatos. That’s politics,” declared the French leader – who possesses a master’s degree in philosophy.
“The spirit of defeat means two things: you get used to it and you stop fighting.
“If Thanatos is hungrier, death wins. If Europeans are on the side of Eros, it’s the only way to manage.”
The President went on to say that, despite all the problems currently plaguing Europe, he remained stubbornly optimistic about the bloc’s future.
This hope, Macron argued, was in itself the best way of fighting back against those who wish to see the EU fall.
“And when I tell you that it’s the question of Eros, that’s really what it’s all about,” he said.
“If you tell people it’s over, it’s already over. They’ve already lost.”
French President Emanuel Macron has floated the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine if defensive lines collapse. https://t.co/bfGqhPQIZu
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 2, 2024
This is far from the first time Macron has invoked the classics to analyse European politics.
Having studied Hegel and Machiavelli in university, he has become known for what some see as somewhat odd pronouncements.
Regarding his presidency, Macron has compared himself to not one but two Greek gods – Jupiter and Hephaestus.
Macron can also be less poetic at times, using rather crude language at one stage during the Covid pandemic to explain his crackdown on citizens who refused to get vaccinated.
“The unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off,” he said, using the term “emmerder“.
French voters will use the European Parliament elections in June to express their dissatisfaction with French President Emmanuel Macron, research has found. https://t.co/Aw4uForwUu
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 30, 2024
