“The US seeks to weaken Europe.” French President Macron warned in Davos against “transition to a world without rules”

French President Emmanuel Macron accused the United States of trying to weaken Europe during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20. This was preceded by Donald Trumpʼs threats to impose tariffs on countries that support Greenland and Denmark.

He is quoted by RFI and Le Monde.

According to Macron, now all countries are "moving towards a world without laws, where international law is being violated", and "imperial ambitions are resurfacing".

This is not just about economic imbalances, but about a deeper crisis in the system of security and trust that has ensured the relative stability of international trade and diplomacy for decades.

"Competition is becoming increasingly fierce, especially from the United States, which is demanding greater concessions and openly seeking to weaken Europe through tariffs and pressure on the sovereignty of states. We must not passively accept the law of the strongest," Macron said.

He called on European countries to strengthen cooperation to "strengthen strategic and economic sovereignty".

At the same time, the French president acknowledged the structural weaknesses of the European Union itself. “Europe is lagging behind”, he stated, comparing the EU’s level of competitiveness with the US and China.

However, according to Macron, Europe has "very powerful" trade tools and must dare to use them if its interests are not respected.

The French leader stressed the importance of the rule of law, "not brutality", and called for joint decisions and dialogue. He cited the example of a joint European mission to Greenland in response to Donald Trumpʼs threats to seize the island.

• The 56th World Economic Forum began in Davos, Switzerland, on January 19 under the slogan "The Spirit of Dialogue". It will last until January 23.
• Organizers reported almost 3 000 participants from over 130 countries, including a high-level delegation from Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not attend the forum due to the critical situation in the Ukrainian energy sector.
• Participants will discuss five key topics: cooperation in a world of conflict, new sources of economic growth, investment in human capital, responsible implementation of innovation, including artificial intelligence, and achieving well-being within the planetʼs ecological limits.

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