Macron says UK’s return to EU would be ‘excellent news’

French President Emmanuel Macron outlined his strategies for addressing the crisis of democracy and the rise of "extremes," starting with massive investment in a "stronger Europe" – a message that resonates in France as the presidential election approaches. 

At the start of a two-day state visit to Spain on Tuesday, the French president, accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron, arrived at the Royal Palace in a Rolls-Royce escorted by the Royal Guard on horseback in ceremonial dress. 

In the vast cobbled courtyard, the couple was welcomed in the early afternoon by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia – amid the sounds of a military band and cannon salutes – in the presence of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.