French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a sharp rebuke to US President Donald Trump, asserting that Europe will not be coerced by “bullies” or succumb to intimidation.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Macron criticised Washington’s threat to impose heavy tariffs unless Europe permits the United States to acquire Greenland, reports Reuters.
While other leaders on the continent have maintained a more cautious tone to avoid escalating trans-Atlantic tensions, the French President adopted a more assertive stance.
He warned that Europe and France would not “passively accept the law of the strongest,” arguing that doing so would lead to the continent’s “vassalisation”.
Macron emphasised that Europe remains committed to territorial sovereignty and international regulations, despite a global trend towards a world devoid of rules.
This commitment may involve the European Union (EU) implementing its own significant trade sanctions. “We do prefer respect to bullies,” the President remarked, adding that the rule of law is preferable to “brutality”.
During his address, Macron wore aviator sunglasses, which the Élysée Palace noted were necessary to protect his eyes due to a burst blood vessel.
His remarks follow Trump’s threats against French wine and champagne, alongside the unusual diplomatic breach of the US President sharing Macron’s private messages.
Trump had previously pledged to introduce a series of rising tariffs starting 1 February against various European allies, including France, until the US is granted control of Greenland – a strategy EU members have described as blackmail.
Macron characterised the “endless accumulation” of these tariffs as “fundamentally unacceptable,” particularly when used to undermine territorial integrity.
In response, EU leaders have scheduled an emergency summit in Brussels for Thursday evening to discuss the Greenland situation. The bloc could activate tariffs on 93 billion euros of US goods on 6 February, reversing a previous agreement reached last summer.
Additionally, Macron has called for the EU to consider deploying its Anti-Coercion Instrument, colloquially termed the “trade bazooka”.
This measure could restrict US companies from public tenders or limit trade in services, such as digital platforms. On Tuesday, the President described the escalation of the dispute to this level as “crazy”.
