Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Aug 30, 2025

‘It’s France’s and will remain so’: Paris denies UK media report claiming it could give up its UN Security Council seat

‘It’s France’s and will remain so’: Paris denies UK media report claiming it could give up its UN Security Council seat

France has rejected a report by the Daily Telegraph that it was proposing to hand its seat at the UN Security Council over to Brussels in exchange for European governments supporting President Emanuel Macron’s plan of an EU army.

An article published by the British paper earlier on Wednesday claimed that such an offer from Paris could be “put on the table” for discussion with the EU.

The Telegraph said the claim that the French seat at the UNSC may end up being placed “at the disposal of the European Union” came from Sandro Gozi, a European parliament member for Macron’s Renaissance party. Gozi served as Italy’s State Secretary for European Affairs between 2014 and 2018, but last year he became an MEP for France, occupying one of the seats freed after Brexit.

The rebuttal of the report came from the Elysee Place a few hours later, with the French President’s office clarifying on Twitter: “Contrary to the Daily Telegraph’s assertions this morning, France has not proposed to give up its seat on the United Nations Security Council. It is France’s and will remain so.”

The same message was swiftly repeated in English on the account of the French Embassy in London.


Gozi also took to Twitter, insisting that his words were “totally distorted” by the Telegraph, which he described as “British tabloid.”

“The permanent seat at the UN is French and will remain French,” the MEP wrote, while decrying the article as “extreme manipulation.”


Macron has been pushing for the creation of a joint EU army for several years now, arguing that the bloc shouldn’t solely rely on the US for protection and needed to achieve “strategic autonomy.”

The French leader’s security concerns were seemingly fueled by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan amid the US withdrawal, as well as last week’s announcement of the AUKUS pact between the US, UK and Australia.

Paris described the trilateral deal to arm Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines “a stab in the back” as it saw the Australian government withdrawing from a $66 billion contract for diesel-electric subs with France. French ambassadors were also recalled for consultations from Washington and Canberra.

France is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, together with Russia, the US, UK and China.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
×