French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday sharply criticised the United States, saying that Washington is “breaking free from international rules” and is increasingly turning away from some of its long-standing allies.
He made the comments in his annual address to French ambassadors at the Élysée Palace, at a time when European governments are scrambling to formulate a coordinated response to assertive elements of US foreign policy.
Macron said the United States, though a longstanding global power, appears to be retreating from the multilateral order it once helped promote. “The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently,” he said, stressing his concern about the diminishing effectiveness of international institutions.
He warned that multilateral frameworks that have underpinned global stability since the Second World War are functioning “less and less effectively,” and expressed alarm at what he described as a global climate where great powers are tempted to divide the world rather than work through collective institutions.
Macron’s remarks come against the backdrop of a series of controversial US policies that have raised alarms in Europe, including the recent US raid in Venezuela that saw the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, and President Donald Trump’s renewed push to assert control over Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory.
The French president underscored the need for Europe to safeguard its own interests and to bolster its regulatory frameworks in key sectors, including technology.
He highlighted the importance of defending European legislation such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aim to regulate big tech firms and protect digital freedoms, measures Washington has criticised as coercive towards American platforms.
Macron also said it was vital to maintain academic freedom and nurture a media environment in which ideas can circulate freely, rather than allowing information ecosystems to be shaped solely by the algorithms of a few dominant companies.
His address reflected broader European concerns that unilateral actions by powerful states risk weakening the rules-based system that has long underpinned international cooperation and security.
His speech comes as many European capitals express unease at what they see as sharp shifts in US foreign policy priorities, with some leaders worried that traditional alliances and international norms are under strain.
What you should know
Macron’s remarks signal growing European unease with aspects of US foreign policy under President Trump, particularly actions perceived as unilateral and dismissive of long-standing international frameworks.
By highlighting the need to protect multilateral institutions and strengthen European regulatory and diplomatic capacity, Macron is advocating for greater European strategic autonomy.
His comments follow recent global flashpoints, including the US military intervention in Venezuela and Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, both issues that have stoked diplomatic tensions with allied nations and prompted fresh debates about the future of the rules-based international order.
