Friday, January 9, 2026 - French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, January 8, accused the United States of “breaking free from international rules” and warned that Washington is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies, in remarks underscoring growing tensions between Europe and the U.S.
Macron delivered the comments at the Élysée Palace during
his annual address to French ambassadors, as European powers debate how to
respond to what they consider an increasingly assertive U.S. foreign policy in
the Western Hemisphere.
“The United States is an established power, but one that is
gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from
international rules that it was still promoting recently,” Macron said.
“Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively.”
“We are living in a world of great powers with a real
temptation to divide up the world,” he added.
His remarks follow a U.S. special force raid in Venezuela
last Saturday that saw Nicolás Maduro and his wife seized and taken to New
York, prompting criticism that Washington had infringed on international law.
In the aftermath, President Donald Trump reignited debate in Europe by
reiterating his intention to take control of Greenland, refusing to rule out
the use of force to obtain the Arctic territory — a move that has alarmed
Denmark and other U.S. allies. Copenhagen has warned that any such attack would
spell the end of NATO.
Macron said the moment called for countries to “reinvest
fully in the United Nations” at a time when “everyday people wonder whether
Greenland is going to be invaded” and whether “Canada will face the threat of
becoming the 51st state.”
He criticised the U.S. withdrawal from dozens of
international agreements and organizations, noting that Washington had recently
flagged its exit from 66 global bodies and treaties.
Macron urged Europe to protect its own interests, calling
for “consolidation” of European regulation of the tech sector. He praised
efforts to safeguard academic independence and spoke of the need for “a
controlled information space where opinions can be exchanged completely freely,
but where choices are not made by the algorithms of a few.”
He defended the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and
Digital Services Act, two flagship measures aimed at regulating large
technology platforms. “The DSA and DMA are two regulations that must be
defended,” Macron said.
0 Comments