EU must assume political leadership in space policy: French president

French President Emmanuel Macron called on the EU Thursday to assume stronger political leadership over its space policy, warning that Europe remains "fragile" in a sector increasingly linked to sovereignty, security and economic competitiveness.

"The European Union must fully assume political leadership over an ambitious, clear and demanding space policy," Macron told the first International Space Summit at the Grand Palais in Paris.

Macron said the bloc should pursue "genuine technological independence" and retain the ability to choose its partners for critical capabilities.

"Europe must rank among the world's leading players, particularly in communications and artificial intelligence," he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed Macron's call for greater cooperation, warning that Europe's current strengths do not guarantee its future position.

"To remain at the forefront, Europe must act together, invest at scale, and turn our market into a competitive advantage," she said.

The global space economy is expected to nearly triple from around $630 billion today to $1.8 trillion by 2035, von der Leyen added.

She said the Commission had proposed €131 billion ($152 billion) for defense, security and space under the EU's next long-term budget, five times the funding currently available.

Macron stressed the need for large-scale, affordable access to space, saying Europe should be capable of launching several hundred metric tons into orbit annually at competitive costs.

"Europe cannot invest billions in these rockets and then purchase launches only sporadically," he said.

Von der Leyen said the Commission and the European Space Agency were committed to developing a new European vision for access to space by pooling demand and acting as an anchor customer for European launches.

"This is how we keep a competitive space transport industry in Europe, and keep our independent access to space," she said.

Macron announced that France would invest €20 billion through 2030 in the space sector, along with an additional €40 million through the French space agency CNES for an observation program.

Von der Leyen also highlighted the growing security dimension of space, citing threats including signal jamming, spoofing and cyberattacks on satellite networks.

"Our security on Earth increasingly depends on our security in space," she said, adding that the EU is developing a European Space Shield to strengthen defenses and address critical capability gaps.

Macron also warned that "space is no longer a sanctuary," calling for stronger international governance.