Macron vows to ‘re-arm French fertility’ to boost falling birth rates and revive presidency

EMMANUEL MACRON last night pledged to “re-arm French fertility” and boost falling birth rates as part of measures to revivie his faltering second term. The French president announced a plan to introduce a six-month parental leave, one of many policies he said would help France become stronger, including getting primary pupils to learn the Marseillaise by heart.

In a marathon press conference – only his third in six years at the Elysée Palace – he also pledged “order”, “authority” and further economic reforms, as well as cutting red tape and better controlling screen times for children.

“France will also be stronger by boosting its birth rate,” Mr Macron insisted.

The country’s birth rate fell by 7 per cent last year to its lowest level since the end of the Second World War, but it still has the highest rate in Europe, with an average of 1.53 children per woman.

“Infertility, both male and female, has risen sharply in recent years and is causing many couples to suffer,” he said. “A major plan to combat this scourge will be launched to bring about this demographic rearmament.”

The wide-ranging speech also included further promises – from testing uniforms in schools to offering more art history and drama classes in secondary schools – and came days after the appointment of France’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister.

On international matters, he said France chose not to join Britain and America in missile strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to “avoid any escalation” and to remain a force for “balance” in the Red Sea area. “But we are there to preserve freedom of navigation. In fact, we have stopped missiles and drones that were about to strike Norwegian ships. So we are acting to protect our own equipment and the equipment of our allies,” he said.

The president also pledged more weapons for Kyiv, including 40 Scalp missiles, and announced his intention to visit Ukraine in February.