Against Trump\u2019s tariff threats
\nFrench president calls for stronger European sovereignty and fair trade rules, signaling Europe will not bow to economic coercion amid US tariff threats
\n LONDON
\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron warned about global power and economic governance, implicitly challenging US President Donald Trump\u2019s trade and diplomatic approach, at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
\nWithout naming Trump, Macron described a world sliding toward a \u201claw of the strongest,\u201d where cooperation is replaced by coercion and economic pressure becomes a tool of dominance.
\nHis comments come as Europe faces renewed threats of tariffs and coercive measures from Washington following the fallout over Greenland and other trade disputes.
\nMacron, wearing sunglasses on stage, warned political and business leaders of a world under pressure, marked by rising instability, weakened international law, and faltering global institutions.
\n\u201cWe are destroying the systems that help us solve shared problems,\u201d he said, warning that uncontrolled competition, especially in trade, puts collective governance at risk.
\nIn recent days, Trump has threatened punitive tariffs on European exports, including a 200 percent levy on French wine, after Macron refused to join the \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d for Gaza.
\nTrump also announced a 10 percent tariff on exports from Britain and EU countries unless Washington secured a deal to purchase Greenland from Denmark, a move European officials have privately called economic blackmail.
\nMacron rejected what he described as \u201cvassalization and bloc politics,\u201d warning that submitting to the strongest power would lead to subordination rather than security.
\nHe also criticized trade practices that demand \u201cmaximum concessions\u201d while undermining European export interests, suggesting that competition today is increasingly about power rather than efficiency or innovation.
\nMacron also said that Europe has long been uniquely exposed by its commitment to open markets while others protect their industries.
\n\u201cProtection does not mean protectionism,\u201d he said, emphasizing that Europe must enforce a level playing field, strengthen trade defense instruments, and apply the principle of \u201cEuropean preference\u201d where partners fail to respect shared rules.
\nMacron warned against passive moral posturing, arguing that it would leave Europe \u201cmarginalized and powerless\u201d in an increasingly harsh world. His dual strategy calls for stronger European sovereignty alongside effective multilateralism.
\nThe timing of the speech underscored its urgency. Trump recently published private messages from NATO leaders and Macron, following a diplomatic controversy over Greenland.
\nMacron closed his Davos speech with a clear statement of principles: \u201cWe prefer respect to bullying, science to obscurantism, and the rule of law to brutality.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Against Trump\u2019s tariff threats French president calls for stronger European sovereignty and fair trade rules, signaling Europe will not bow to economic coercion amid US tariff threats LONDON French President Emmanuel Macron warned about global power and economic governance, implicitly challenging US President Donald Trump\u2019s trade and diplomatic approach, at the World Economic Forum in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":526799,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-526779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n