Paris, February 10 – French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stark warning to Europe amid seismic shifts in the global order. In a series of interviews with major European outlets, he urged the continent to stop bending to the whims of superpowers like the US and China and instead unite to confront emerging uncertainties head-on.
Macron dismissed the strategy of submission, declaring it obsolete. ‘Europe must wake up,’ he told newspapers including El Pais, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Financial Times, and Le Monde. ‘If we don’t decide for ourselves, we’ll be swept away.’
Highlighting a ‘deep geopolitical frenzy,’ Macron pointed to deteriorating relations with both the US and China, which he said deliver ‘profound shocks’ to trade and defense sectors. He advocated reducing risks and dependencies proactively rather than waiting for the next crisis.
The French leader painted a dire picture: ‘If we choose to remain spectators, we will become slaves.’ Referencing what he called the ‘Greenland moment’ – a nod to shifting US interests – Macron stressed that Europe’s NATO ally’s waning focus on the continent should serve as a wake-up call.
Europeans, he argued, stand strong but react too slowly. To secure its place as a global superpower, the continent needs more ‘common leadership’ and strategic autonomy. He cited the Franco-British-led ‘Coalition of the Willing’ for Ukraine as a prime example of how Europe can forge robust international alliances in defense and security to protect its interests.
In a surprising twist, Macron reiterated calls for Europe to reopen diplomatic channels with Moscow – independently, without naivety or pressuring Ukraine, and without relying on third parties. ‘We must defend Europe’s interests, and I’m not handing them over to anyone, not even the US,’ he asserted.
As global tensions rise, Macron’s message is clear: unity and boldness are Europe’s only path forward in this volatile new era.