"Majority of French people votes for the EU! "

Frankfurt, 25 April 2022 - On the outcome of the presidential elections in France, VDMA President Karl Haeusgen says:

"We are pleased and relieved that Emmanuel Macron won the presidential elections in France and that the French people have decided in favour of a future for France in the EU. A French President Marine Le Pen would have led France and the European Union into a deep internal crisis - and this at a time when Russian aggression is particularly challenging the EU as a strong community of values capable of acting!

The European mechanical and plant engineering industry with its numerous internationally active companies not only needs a well-functioning EU internal market, but also a strong European voice on the international stage. Despite all the relief, we therefore see with concern that a very large part of the population in France has given its vote to radical parties and has thus also spoken out against the European project in its current form. This development in the country which, together with Germany, is the engine of the EU, is a challenge for the French President. This is especially true if the radical parties in France achieve similarly good results in the parliamentary elections in June. Macron and the EU need to convince even more French people! "

A photo of VDMA President Karl Haeusgen can be found here.

The VDMA represents more than 3,400 German and European mechanical and plant engineering companies. The industry stands for innovation, export orientation and medium-sized businesses. The companies employ around four million people in Europe, more than one million of them in Germany alone. Mechanical and plant engineering represents a European turnover volume of around 800 billion euros. In the entire manufacturing sector, it contributes the highest share to the European gross domestic product with a value added of around 270 billion euros.