DAVOS, Jan 21 : French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday warned of a global shift toward “a world without rules” at the World Economic Forum, urging stronger European sovereignty and effective multilateral cooperation to address rising geopolitical and economic tensions.
“International law is trampled underfoot and the only laws that seem to matter are those of the strongest,” Macron said, citing the ongoing Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and conflicts across the Middle East and Africa.
Macron’s statement comes as the Russian war against Ukraine will enter its fourth year next month, and conflicts in the Middle East and across Africa are still continuing.
Macron said that addressing “global economic imbalances is our key priority” and that includes American overconsumption, Chinese underconsumption and overinvestment, and European underinvestment and lack of competitiveness.
He chose to point out the imbalances that are reflected in development gaps, Macron said, “We can no longer settle for aid that neither delivers efficient results nor enables countries to escape poverty.”
He expressed concern over the “weakening of the international bodies weakened or left by the key economies,” as he stressed that the “killing of this structure where we can fix the situation and the common challenges we have.”
“Without collective governance, cooperation gives way to relentless competition. Competition from the United States of America through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe, combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable – even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty,” he said.
“This is, as well as a shift towards a world without effective collective governance and where multilateralism is weakened by powers that obstruct it or turn away from it, and rules are undermined,” he added.
Macron criticised the weakening of multilateral institutions, saying powers that obstruct collective governance or ignore international rules are undermining global stability. “Without collective governance, cooperation gives way to relentless competition,” he said.
Macron highlighted the growing economic competition facing Europe, citing aggressive trade practices from both the United States and China.
He said the US has engaged in “trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe,” adding that an “endless accumulation of new tariffs” is “fundamentally unacceptable, especially when used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.”
Turning to China, Macron warned that “massive excess capacities and distortive practices threaten to overwhelm entire industrial and commercial sectors,” noting that export controls are becoming increasingly destabilising for global trade and the international system.
To address these challenges, Macron emphasised the need for cooperation and strategic action, saying: “The answer is more cooperation, building new approaches, and strengthening economic sovereignty and a strategic economy, especially for Europeans. For me, this is the core solution.”
He outlined a two-pronged response for Europe, “More sovereignty and more autonomy for the Europeans, on the one side, and an efficient multilateralism to deliver results through cooperation on the other.”
The French president stressed that Europe must defend its industries while adhering to fair competition, citing measures such as the anti-coercion instrument and the principle of European preference. “We must protect our industries when the rules of the game are not respected,” Macron said.
He also highlighted the need for simplification of regulations, deeper integration of the single market, and increased investment in innovation and critical sectors like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cleantech, and defense. “We have to invest much more to be credible and accelerate our innovation agenda,” he said.
Macron emphasised the importance of the rule of law as a foundation for global stability: “We prefer respect to bullies. We prefer science to short-term gain, and the rule of law to brutality.”
France, which holds the G7 presidency this year, will focus on restoring the forum as a space for frank dialogue among major economies and cooperative solutions to global imbalances. Macron also called for building stronger ties with emerging economies, the BRICS, and the G20.
“Cooperating is not about blaming others. It is about assuming responsibility and contributing to solutions,” he said, underscoring France’s commitment to a stronger, more autonomous Europe.
(UNI )
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