Gabriel Attal proposes a ‘United States of Europe’

French presidential candidate Gabriel Attal has proposed the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’ to advance the integrationist vision of Emmanuel Macron. Speaking to supporters in Reims, the 37-year-old former Prime Minister argued that the current 27-member European Union model has reached its limits and should be replaced by a smaller core of nations willing to merge their economies.

Attal’s plan envisions a group of eight to ten countries working to eliminate remaining economic barriers, align tax rates, and establish common labor and business laws. This federation would include a unified capital market and a common treasury capable of issuing joint debt to fund strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, nuclear energy, and defense. Attal emphasized that this model would not create a ‘super-state,’ as individual nations would retain control over their own militaries.

In the current presidential race, Attal is positioning himself as the most explicitly pro-European candidate among several centrist contenders. Recent Ipsos polling places him between 6% and 15.5% for the first round, trailing centrist rival Édouard Philippe, who holds 14% to 21%, and center-left candidate Raphaël Glucksmann, who sits between 11.5% and 13.5%.