French President Emmanuel Macron has launched a sharp critique against the United States, accusing the world power of deliberately stepping away from the international order it helped create.
A Stark Warning to Europe
During his annual address to French ambassadors at the Élysée Palace on Thursday, January 8, Macron warned that Washington is "gradually turning away from some of its allies". He stated that the US is now "breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently." The French leader's remarks highlight the growing diplomatic strain between European capitals and Washington.
Macron pointed to a perceived decline in the effectiveness of global institutions. "Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively," he observed. He framed the current global climate as one dominated by great powers, noting, "We are living in a world of great powers with a real temptation to divide up the world."
Recent Actions Fueling the Tension
The President's comments come in the wake of two controversial actions by the United States that have alarmed European allies. The first was a U.S. special forces raid in Venezuela last Saturday that resulted in the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken to New York. This move sparked widespread criticism that Washington had violated international law.
Secondly, U.S. President Donald Trump recently reiterated his intention to take control of Greenland, refusing to rule out using force to acquire the Arctic territory. This stance has caused significant concern in Denmark, which administers Greenland, and among other NATO partners. Copenhagen has warned that any attack on Greenland would mean the end of the NATO alliance.
Macron referenced these events directly, saying the current moment is one where "everyday people wonder whether Greenland is going to be invaded" and whether "Canada will face the threat of becoming the 51st state."
A Call for European Sovereignty and UN Revival
In response to these challenges, the French President issued a dual call to action. He urged nations to "reinvest fully in the United Nations" to bolster the struggling multilateral system.
Simultaneously, he pressed Europe to assert its own strategic and economic independence. Macron criticized the U.S. withdrawal from 66 global bodies and treaties, using it as a rationale for Europe to strengthen its own regulatory framework.
He specifically championed the European Union's efforts to regulate big tech, defending the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). "The DSA and DMA are two regulations that must be defended," Macron asserted. He called for the consolidation of European tech sector regulation to create "a controlled information space where opinions can be exchanged completely freely, but where choices are not made by the algorithms of a few."
Macron also praised initiatives to safeguard academic independence, framing the broader push as essential for Europe to protect its interests, values, and security in an increasingly fragmented world.
