In farewell speech at UN, Macron calls for concrete results from Hormuz to Gaza

In his final appearance at the General Assembly podium as head of the French state, Emmanuel Macron placed the emphasis on multilateral diplomacy and the need to achieve tangible results on a global stage plagued by conflicts and energy instability.

Paris officials had warned before the address that the era of grand speeches was over, hinting that the president would focus on practical and measurable steps.

Even though the French administration openly acknowledges that the United Nations is going through a difficult period, as the Security Council is often paralyzed by disagreements between powers, Macron continues to see this body as one of the essential platforms for reaching agreements with broad political and international legal impact.

One of the hottest points raised by France was the escalating situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Together with Washington, Paris is promoting an initiative in the Security Council that seeks to secure freedom of navigation and encourage the return of a greater number of commercial ships and tankers to this key maritime route.

The French strategy aims to separate the Hormuz issue from the broader talks with Tehran about its atomic program and involvement in regional crises.

The French president has clearly stated that he demands results, while the central idea of Paris is the creation of a mechanism that would increase the flow of oil and goods, even if a full agreement between the US and Iran remains distant.

Turmoil in Hormuz has already begun to affect international energy exchanges and prices, turning the security of this maritime corridor into a major problem for the economy of the old continent.

Also, France has declared itself open to contributing to the defense of Saudi Arabia’s vital energy infrastructure, especially the facilities in Yanbu and the East-West corridor. Paris has underlined that any engagement would be purely defensive in nature and would not equate to entering the conflict with the Houthi movement.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Macron has reaffirmed France’s unwavering support for Kiev and the necessity of strengthening its air defense shield.

After meetings held in New York, he announced a new aid package for the attacked country, including interceptors and modern air defense systems, with the aim that Ukraine withstands the cold winter season.

Meanwhile, the head of the Elysée has tabled the idea of a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure. This initiative would extend not only to Russian bombardments of energy facilities in Ukraine, but also to any potential Ukrainian attack against Russian refineries and fuel depots.

Paris’s goal is to increase Ukraine’s self-defense capacities, while simultaneously curbing the consequences of the energy war on the European economy and creating ground for further talks.

Another important file on the president’s agenda was Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian clash.

On September 22, 2025, France took the step of formally recognizing the state of Palestine, joining international efforts in favor of the two-state solution.

A year after this action, Paris judges that the situation on the ground remains extremely complicated. A sustainable political process for Gaza has still not begun, while tensions in the West Bank have intensified.

The unwavering French stance remains that without a clear political perspective for the establishment of two states, there can be no long-term solution.

Macron’s presence at the General Assembly marked his last exit on this global stage as President of France, as he is in the closing months of his second term, without the right to a third consecutive re-election bid.

His focus in New York was on a stronger Europe, strategic autonomy, preservation of transatlantic ties, and empowerment of multilateral mechanisms.

According to the French perspective, the crises in Hormuz, Ukraine, and the Middle East illustrate not only the weaknesses of the international system, but also the urgent necessity for new architectures of cooperation.

By placing the UN at the heart of efforts to overcome conflicts and global crises, Macron has insisted that diplomacy must be transformed into concrete and measurable achievements.