National governments in Europe have been left without the tools to address national problems. Irrespective of political colour, once in power, they have to follow European Union guidelines. People protest because they want changes their governments cannot undertake.

In his presentation as a presidential hopeful on the 18th of September 2026, Gabriel Attal, a Macron protégé and former (though brief) Prime Minister of France under him, proposed moving the European Union (EU) towards the United States of Europe. This was part of his bid to differentiate himself from political opponents, but it does not come out of nowhere.

Attal’s proposal builds directly on the conceptual framework championed by French President Emmanuel Macron. In his Sorbonne speeches (most notably Sorbonne II , April 2024), Macron warned that “our Europe is mortal, it can die” unless it achieves true strategic sovereignty.…