Quotes from Emmanuel Macron

I am attached to a strict approach to Brexit: I respect the British vote, but the worst thing would be a sort of weak E.U. vis-a-vis the British.

Even if the Brits decide to remain, we will have to avoid a contagion on other countries.

I am a newcomer. I want to remain a newcomer. That is my DNA.

We have a huge responsibility to make sure that Europe remains a prosperous and peaceful continent.

There are two projects facing each other. There's Marine Le Pen's project of a fractured, closed France. On the other hand, you have my project which is a republican, patriotic project aiming at... reconciling France.

The only way governments or would-be governments respond to ills these days is by seeking to lower the temperature... and that tends to mean public spending.

I touched the limits of our political system, which pushes one to last-minute compromises. Explanations are rarely given. It plays to people's fears because it hasn't built an ideological consensus. It produces flawed solutions and too often ignores reality.

I push reforms. I tell the truth to people, even when it's tough for the country.

We have to shift the social model from a lot of formal protections toward loosening bottlenecks in the economy.

I come all wreathed in a reputation the press has made for me. Judge me on my actions. That's all that counts.

We will open a new bunch of reforms regarding the labor market to make it simpler and adaptable, more flexible.

The 28-member Europe must be simpler, clearer, more efficient, and continue to advance on digital and energy issues.

We can't have our industry progressively destroyed by cheap Chinese imports.

Believe in individual initiatives, in courage, in risk.

Really, creation and innovation are part of the French DNA.

I am not shy. I am for an open society. I am for a progressive world. I do not propose to reform France; I propose to transform it at its deepest level.

We should not replicate the situation where one country is in a situation to hijack the rest of Europe because they organize a referendum.

Without investment, you cannot have jobs.

To avoid the trap of Europe fragmenting on the economy, security, and identity, we have to return to the original promises of the European project: peace, prosperity and freedom. We should have a real, adult, democratic debate about the Europe we want.

We can't fix the real problems if we only cauterize and don't treat the roots of evil.

If the U.K. wants a commercial access treaty to the European market, the British must contribute to the European budget like the Norwegians and the Swiss do. If London doesn't want that, then it must be a total exit.

We're not isolated from the world. The world knocks on our door.

What we need is much more flexibility for the labour markets.

Europe's younger generation has only experienced austerity.