The mutual assistance clause of the European Union is coming to the forefront amidst uncertainties surrounding NATO. Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis call for a more structured and complementary European defense.
The mutual assistance clause of the European Union is unambiguous, declared President Macron on Saturday, April 25, 2026 during a visit to Athens as part of the renewal of the strategic partnership between France and Greece in 2021.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the French head of state told the press: “Regarding article 42 paragraph 7 […], I believe that for us it is clear and there is no interpretation, no ambiguity, so to speak, on this article.”
This article of the Treaty on the European Union states that “in the event of armed aggression against a Member State on its territory, the other Member States shall have an obligation to aid and assist it by all the means in their power.”
Unlike Article 5 of the NATO collective defense pact, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the EU mutual assistance clause is not based on any operational plan or military structure. It has only been activated once, by France in 2015, following the November 13 attacks in Paris, which resulted in over 130 deaths.
The EU leaders’ call for a plan
EU leaders have requested that officials from the bloc develop a plan explaining how the mutual assistance clause would function in a context of uncertainty regarding the continued commitment of the United States to NATO.
This month, US President Donald Trump expressed his frustration with NATO in a private meeting with the Secretary-General of the transatlantic alliance, Mark Rutte, amid increased tensions between the US and its traditional allies due to the conflict in Iran.
Displeased that NATO countries did not respond favorably to his request for assistance in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz alongside the US and Israel’s military campaign against Iran on February 28, 2026, Donald Trump told Reuters that he was considering “absolutely” withdrawing from the alliance, which he had criticized on several occasions in the past.
In addition, in response to threats made by Donald Trump earlier in the year to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, EU countries have been prompted to review the provisions related to mutual assistance among member states.
Both Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis affirmed that efforts to strengthen defense at the EU level should be viewed as complementary to NATO, not as a substitute.
“NATO brings things and we have never considered that our alliances, our partnerships, where the European Union was an alternative to NATO, something to eliminate NATO. NATO is a broader alliance,” stated Emmanuel Macron.
<p"I would say that NATO and the United States should be pleased that Europe is taking its strategic autonomy seriously and investing more in its defense. This way we strengthen the European pillar of NATO," said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Partnership between Paris and Athens
Emmanuel Macron also referred to the partnership signed in 2021 with Greece, stating that Paris had reacted at the time to emerging threats affecting Athens.
“This partnership, today, we have not only just consecrated it, but expanded it through the signing of a reinforced global strategic partnership,” stated the French President.
<p"In terms of innovation, there is also a strengthening of our ties, the new dimension represented by the advanced deterrence that I announced a few weeks ago, which has been the subject of intense work between our teams and which we will continue to pursue, anchoring this strategic link between Greece and France," continued Emmanuel Macron, adding that French-Greek exchanges have doubled over ten years.
Regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Emmanuel Macron expressed his desire for a stronger Europe that can influence, while also calling for peace.
“Given the situation that we are experiencing in the Middle East, we both call for peace to be restored, for the ceasefire to be maintained, including in Lebanon, for continued diplomatic negotiations to address the nuclear, ballistic, and regional destabilization issues, and for the peaceful reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
/2026/04/25/69ec9c1e4b363363672660.jpg "Shots of settlers, expansion of colonies… What is the situation in the West Bank, where Palestinians are voting in the first elections since the Gaza war?")
