Le Monde
French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday, January 20, denounced US competition seeking to "subordinate Europe" and "unacceptable" tariffs following US President Donald Trump's threat to impose levies on countries opposing his plans to seize Greenland.
"France and Europe are attached to national sovereignty and independence, to the United Nations and to its charter," he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as his US counterpart seeks to take over the Danish autonomous territory, and has invited countries around the world to a new global "Board of Peace."
"We will do our best in order to have a stronger Europe, much stronger and more autonomous," he said, wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses after appearing in public with a bloodshot eye last week. "Here in the epicentre of this continent, we do believe that we need more growth, we need more stability in this world," he added.
'We prefer respect to bullies'
"But we do prefer respect to bullies," the French president said. "And we do prefer rule of law to brutality." He warned of "a shift towards a world without rules", one "without effective collective governance," leading to "relentless competition."
Macron described "competition from the United States of America through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe." That was "combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable – even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty," he said.
Macron said there was no G7 summit scheduled this week, after Trump revealed a message proposing a meeting on Ukraine and Greenland. "No meeting is scheduled. The French presidency is willing to hold one," Macron told Agence France-Presse in brief remarks after the speech.
Last week, Macron had appeared on stage with a bloodshot eye for a New Year's address to the military, asking his audience to "please excuse the unsightly look of my eye."
"France and Europe are attached to national sovereignty and independence, to the United Nations and to its charter," he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as his US counterpart seeks to take over the Danish autonomous territory, and has invited countries around the world to a new global "Board of Peace."
"We will do our best in order to have a stronger Europe, much stronger and more autonomous," he said, wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses after appearing in public with a bloodshot eye last week. "Here in the epicentre of this continent, we do believe that we need more growth, we need more stability in this world," he added.
'We prefer respect to bullies'
"But we do prefer respect to bullies," the French president said. "And we do prefer rule of law to brutality." He warned of "a shift towards a world without rules", one "without effective collective governance," leading to "relentless competition."
Macron described "competition from the United States of America through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe." That was "combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable – even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty," he said.
Macron said there was no G7 summit scheduled this week, after Trump revealed a message proposing a meeting on Ukraine and Greenland. "No meeting is scheduled. The French presidency is willing to hold one," Macron told Agence France-Presse in brief remarks after the speech.
Last week, Macron had appeared on stage with a bloodshot eye for a New Year's address to the military, asking his audience to "please excuse the unsightly look of my eye."
