Macron Slams Trump's Bullying as European Pushback Grows

Macron’s Davos address framed current transatlantic tensions as a structural challenge rather than a personal dispute. Speaking on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum, the French president argued that “competition from the U.S. aims to subordinate Europe; it is unacceptable,” anchoring his remarks in a broader call for European strategic autonomy.

The speech came amid mounting friction with U.S. President Donald Trump over tariffs, Greenland, and diplomatic coordination. Macron, wearing sunglasses due to a minor eye issue, told the audience that Europe must rely on predictability, law, and investment rather than coercion. “Europe may be slow, but it is predictable and has the rule of law,” he said.

Macron warned that escalating trade wars and protectionist measures risk undermining global growth, while stressing that economic coercion and tariff retaliation do not create winners, but instead “will only produce losers.”

“Time of Peace,” He Jokes

Opening with irony, Macron joked, “This is a time of peace, stability and predictability,” prompting laughter before adding that 2024 saw “more than 60 wars, an absolute record, even if I understood a few of them were fixed.”

The comment was widely read as an indirect reference to Trump’s repeated claims of resolving conflicts. Macron later warned that “this is not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism,” and concluded that Europe prefers “respect” to “bullies” and “the rule of law” to “brutality.”

He also urged greater private investment and said Europe needs more Chinese direct investment in key sectors, arguing that openness paired with regulation remains a competitive advantage.

Tariffs, Texts, and Greenland

The Davos appearance followed Trump’s publication on Jan. 20 of private text messages with Macron. In one message shared publicly, Macron wrote, “My friend, We are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran. I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. I can set up a G7 meeting after Davos in Paris on Thursday.”

Trump posted the exchange after Macron declined to join his proposed Board of Peace initiative. Asked about that refusal on Jan. 20, Trump responded, “Did he say that? Nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon. If they feel hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join.”

French officials criticized the tariff threat ahead of Davos, saying tariffs are not a solution to economic imbalances. Macron echoed that line, urging calm: “Everyone should remain calm. We shouldn’t let ourselves be intimidated.”

The episode reinforced Paris’s push for EU-level countermeasures, including possible use of the bloc’s anti-coercion instrument.