During an official visit to Athens, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Article 42 (paragraph 7) of the EU Treaty, which provides for mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on a member state, is not a formality but a real obligation.
Source: Bukvy
According to him, this provision leaves no room for different interpretations and must be clearly implemented by all European Union countries.
As an example, Macron mentioned the situation in Cyprus, when after drone attacks in February, France, Greece, and other partners quickly provided military support, including aviation and naval forces.
The French president also stated that EU security mechanisms in some cases may even be more effective than NATO Article 5, as there are doubts about U.S. guarantees under the leadership of Donald Trump.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis supported this position, calling the events in Cyprus a “turning point” for EU security.
During the visit, France and Greece signed nine bilateral agreements covering defense cooperation, nuclear technologies, and scientific research. Macron also confirmed Paris’ readiness to support Athens in the event of regional conflicts.
At the same time, he called on the European Union to more actively shape its own geopolitical strategy, stressing that the current international context is unique due to the simultaneous hard stance of the leaders of the United States, Russia, and China regarding Europe’s interests.