French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a blunt message to US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, warning that Europe will not accept intimidation, tariff threats or pressure on territorial sovereignty, as transatlantic tensions overshadowed the opening days of the 2026 summit.
Speaking ahead of Trump’s expected arrival in Davos, Macron said it was “fundamentally unacceptable” for economic tools such as tariffs to be used as leverage against sovereignty, an implicit reference to Washington’s renewed threats linked to Greenland. “We do prefer respect to bullies,” the French leader told delegates, drawing sustained applause.
Macron said the world was entering a period of instability marked by growing autocracy, conflicts and the erosion of international law. He warned against a return to a global order in which “the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must,” stressing that Europe must neither submit to the “law of the strongest” nor retreat into moral posturing that leads to irrelevance.
Rejecting what he described as a “new colonial approach,” Macron said Europe must respond firmly but pragmatically, defending multilateralism, the rule of law and scientific cooperation.
“We prefer science to conspiracy, and the rule of law to brutality,” he said, underlining France’s commitment to effective multilateralism as it prepares to assume the G7 presidency in 2026.
His remarks came amid mounting unease in Europe over Trump’s America-first agenda, renewed tariff threats and controversial rhetoric on Greenland.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned separately that imposing new US tariffs on the European Union would be a “mistake,” stressing that existing trade agreements must be respected. She said any European response would be united and proportionate.
Warnings of a broader global rupture were echoed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said the rules-based international order was “in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” pointing to power politics and selective enforcement of global norms.
Trump’s presence loomed large over Davos, with US officials already promoting Washington’s agenda and delegates awaiting the president’s address. While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sought to downplay tensions, saying relations with Europe remained strong, European leaders signaled that patience with pressure tactics was wearing thin.
Macron’s speech set the tone for a Davos meeting dominated by geopolitical strain, with Europe seeking to project unity and resolve in the face of what many leaders described as an increasingly confrontational global environment driven by US policy shifts.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he’s confident Washington and Europe will resolve tensions over President Donald Trump’s push to take control of Greenland.
“I am confident that the leaders will not escalate and that this will work out in a manner that ends up in a very good place for all.”
Bessen says, US-Europe relations have “never been closer” despite the dispute.
