French President Emmanuel Macron Appeared To Shade Trump At Davos, Saying It Prefers “Respect To Bullies”
Macron’s speech was sprinkled with veiled criticisms of Trump, as he pointed out the rise of “instability” and “imbalances”.
French President Emmanuel Macron called out US president Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his plans to annex Greenland, saying indirectly countries prefer “respect to bullies” during a special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF).
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Macron addressed politicians at the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, where he spoke about global economic imbalances, strengthening Europe’s economic competitiveness and promoting cooperation.
Macron said that “this is not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism,” urging for economic cooperation instead.
Macron’s speech was sprinkled with veiled criticisms of Trump, as he pointed out the rise of “instability” and “imbalances”.
“More violence, more than 60 wars in 2024 – an absolute record, even if I understood a few of them were fixed,” Macron said, alluding to Trump’s claim that he ended eight wars.
Macron also said the “endless accumulation of new tariffs” is “fundamentally unacceptable”, particularly when used as “leverage against territorial sovereignty.”
His comments come after Trump had also threatened to impose 200% taxes on French wines after Macron reportedly said he did not want to join Trump’s Board of Peace for Gaza.
Macron used the forum to invite investors to place their bets in Europe, describing the region as “predictable”, “loyal” and where investors know “the rule of the game is just a rule of law”.
Macron also made headlines for delivering his speech wearing huge reflective aviator glasses, which outlets suggest could be due to a red eye.
Flavie Chen
Cherry Mohamed
Sofia Hou
