Paris, France. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe should prepare for more moments of U.S. hostility and treat what he called the “Greenland moment” as a wake-up call to push through long-delayed reforms to strengthen the European Union’s global power.
Warning against complacency on U.S. relations
In an interview with several European newspapers, Macron said the EU should not mistake a lull in tensions with Washington for a lasting shift, despite a pause in U.S. threats over Greenland, trade and technology.
Call to use summit to boost competitiveness
Macron urged EU leaders to use a summit in a Belgian castle this week to inject fresh energy into economic reforms aimed at bolstering the bloc’s competitiveness and strengthening its ability to stand up to China and the United States on the world stage.
Response to what Macron described as aggression
“When there’s a clear act of aggression, I think what we should do isn’t bow down or try to reach a settlement,” Macron told Le Monde, the Financial Times and other newspapers in comments published on Tuesday. “We’ve tried that strategy for months. It’s not working,”
Concerns over digital regulation and tariffs
Macron said the Trump administration was being “openly anti-European” and seeking the EU’s “dismemberment.” He said he anticipated further tensions with the Trump administration, including over Europe’s regulation of digital technology.
“The U.S. will, in the coming months — that’s certain — attack us over digital regulation,” Macron added, warning of potential U.S. import tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump should the EU use its Digital Services Act to control tech companies.
Resilience amid pressures from the U.S. and China
Macron said Europe needed to be more resilient in the face of a double challenge from the United States and China.
“We have the Chinese tsunami on the trade front, and we have minute-by-minute instability on the American side. These two crises amount to a profound shock — a rupture for Europeans,” he said.
Renewed push for common borrowing
Macron, whose second term finishes in spring 2027, renewed his call for the EU to embark on more common borrowing to help the bloc of 27 nations invest at scale and challenge the hegemony of the U.S. dollar.
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