French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe should prepare for more moments of hostility from the United States and use the so-called "Greenland case" as a wake-up call and accelerate long-delayed reforms to strengthen the European Union's global role, "Reuters" quoted him as saying.
In an interview with several leading European publications, Macron said that the EU should not accept the temporary lull in tensions with Washington as a permanent change, despite a pause in US threats related to Greenland, trade and technology. According to him, the administration of US President Donald Trump is "openly anti-European" and even seeks to "dismember" of the Union.
Macron called on European leaders to use the upcoming summit in Belgium to breathe new energy into economic reforms and increase the EU's competitiveness so that it can defend its interests against both China and the United States. "When there is a clear act of aggression, we must not bend or seek compromise at all costs. We have tried this strategy for months - it does not work", the French leader stressed.
According to him, new frictions with Washington are inevitable in the coming months, including over European regulation of digital technologies. Macron warned that the United States could impose tariffs if the EU implements the Digital Services Act to restrict the activities of big technology companies.
The French president described the situation as a double challenge: a "Chinese tsunami" in trade and constant instability on the American side. These two factors, he said, represent a "deep shock and rift for Europeans". In this context, he again called for a wider use of a common European debt that would allow the EU to invest on a large scale and challenge the dominance of the US dollar by offering global markets a safe alternative in the form of European bonds.
Macron stressed that Europe needs "protection, not protectionism", defending the idea of a "Made in Europe" strategy, including minimum requirements for European content in goods produced in the EU. However, this initiative is already causing disagreements between member states and concern in the automotive sector. He said the economic strategy to transform Europe into a global power must be based on "European preference", which would strengthen the Union's resilience and autonomy.