French President Emmanuel Macron took a swipe at President Donald Trump this week, saying actions by the leader, including publicly sharing private messages, reflect a troubling shift in American leadership and a breakdown in diplomatic respect.
Macron’s rebuke came in an interview with YouTuber Raj Shamani released on Thursday, in which he said that respect among leaders is a core part of global leadership and lamented what he described as backward-looking behavior. “Respect was built … over years,” Macron said, adding that seeing leaders move in the opposite direction “is not the right message.”
Europe-US Tensions Over Greenland, Trade Ignites Rift
The French president’s comments follow a diplomatic flare-up last month, when Trump posted on Truth Social what appeared to be a private exchange from Macron questioning the U.S. push on Greenland — a semi-autonomous Danish territory at the center of a widening transatlantic dispute.
In the message Trump shared, Macron told Trump he didn’t understand “what you are doing on Greenland,” a remark that underscored deep European unease over aggressive U.S. bargaining tactics.
Trump’s posts also included messages from other leaders. They were part of an inflammatory strategy in which he threatened tariffs on European allies unless they acquiesced to U.S. demands on Greenland.
Macron has described aspects of Trump’s stance as “anti-Europe,” warning that using tariffs against longtime allies undermines Western unity and could push Europe to accelerate efforts to reduce its dependence on the United States.
“Respect is part of leadership … you can disagree, but you have to do it in a respectful way,” Macron told Shamani.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Macron said Europe would “not passively accept the law of the strongest,” dismissing tariff threats as “unacceptable” and asserting that Europe would continue to defend its territorial sovereignty against coercion.
Macron also used the podcast to discuss currency dynamics, stating that while the U.S. dollar still dominates global finance, Europe should pursue policies to enhance the euro’s role as an international reserve currency. He said this long-term strategic goal could support a more sovereign Europe.
Image via Shutterstock
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