'Up your game!' EU crumbling as majority of Europeans no longer trust bloc – new poll

Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, said France will use its EU presidency in the first half of next year ahead of the French presidential elections to "promote its ideas of Europe".

But, Mr Grant warned officials will need to produce "concrete deliverables" to help Mr Macron win.

Mr Grant wrote: "France will use its EU presidency in the first half of 2022 to promote its ideas on Europe.

"Fortunately for Macron, many of the key people in Brussels are sympathetic to France.

"Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission President, Charles Michel, the European Council President, and Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Policy, owe their jobs to Macron’s support."