French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday criticised the United States for what he described as a growing departure from established international norms and a distancing from some of its traditional allies. He made the remarks during his annual address to French ambassadors at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Macron said the United States remains a powerful global actor, but is “gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently.” He further warned that multilateral institutions are becoming less effective in an era of intensifying great-power rivalry.
The speech comes amid growing European concern over recent assertive actions by Washington, including a controversial US military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and renewed American interest in Greenland, both moves that have alarmed many of Europe’s leaders and partners.
Macron emphasised the need for stronger global governance and urged a reinvestment in multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, noting that the United States, historically its largest backer, no longer appears to fully support it.
He also highlighted the importance of Europe safeguarding its strategic interests, including through consolidated tech regulation and defending legal frameworks like the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act to ensure free but safe information exchange.
Macron’s remarks reflect broader European efforts to respond to shifts in US foreign policy and to recalibrate transatlantic relations at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.
AFP
