French President Emmanuel Macron said he will serve out his full mandate through 2027, rejecting speculation that political and budgetary turmoil at home could force an early departure. “The mandate given to me by the French people will be carried to its term,” he told reporters on Friday after the 25th Franco-German Council of Ministers in Toulon. The statement comes ahead of a confidence vote sought by Prime Minister François Bayrou next month and follows renewed opposition criticism of the government’s fiscal plans. Standing alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Macron said the two leaders had agreed on “very concrete decisions” to bolster Europe’s digital sovereignty, economic competitiveness and defence capabilities. Merz called for “a radical change of course” to strengthen European companies and jobs, while both leaders reiterated that any peace negotiations on Ukraine must involve Kyiv and be backed by firm security guarantees. Macron again labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin “insincere” and defended earlier remarks in which he called the Kremlin leader an “ogre” and “prédateur,” comments that Moscow on Friday denounced as “vulgar insults.” The Élysée and the Chancellery also affirmed their commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East and pledged to maintain close coordination as Europe confronts security threats and economic headwinds.