Macron Warns of ‘Law of the Strongest’ at Davos, in Implicit Rebuke to Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday delivered a stark warning about the state of global power and economic governance, implicitly challenging US President Donald Trump’s trade and diplomatic approach during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Without naming Trump, Macron cautioned that the world is sliding toward a “law of the strongest,” in which cooperation gives way to coercion and economic pressure is used as a tool of dominance rather than partnership.

His remarks come as Europe faces renewed threats of tariffs and other coercive measures from Washington, amid disputes over Greenland and broader trade tensions.

Wearing sunglasses on stage, Macron told political and business leaders that the international system is under severe strain, marked by growing instability, weakened international law and faltering global institutions.

“We are destroying the systems that help us solve shared problems,” he said, warning that uncontrolled competition—particularly in trade—risks undermining collective governance.

In recent days, Trump has threatened punitive tariffs on European exports, including a proposed 200 percent levy on French wine, after Macron declined to join a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza. Trump has also announced a 10 percent tariff on exports from Britain and EU countries unless Washington secures a deal to purchase Greenland from Denmark—moves European officials have privately described as economic blackmail.

Macron rejected what he called “vassalization and bloc politics,” arguing that submission to the strongest power leads not to security but to subordination.

He also criticized trade practices that demand “maximum concessions” while damaging European export interests, suggesting that global competition is increasingly about power rather than efficiency or innovation. Europe, he added, has long been uniquely exposed by its commitment to open markets while others shield their industries.

“Protection does not mean protectionism,” Macron said, calling on Europe to enforce a level playing field, strengthen trade defense instruments and apply the principle of “European preference” when partners fail to respect shared rules.

He warned against what he described as passive moral posturing, saying it would leave Europe “marginalized and powerless” in an increasingly unforgiving world. His strategy, he said, rests on strengthening European sovereignty while preserving effective multilateralism.

The urgency of Macron’s speech was underscored by recent diplomatic tensions, including Trump’s publication of private messages from NATO leaders and Macron following the Greenland controversy.

Macron closed with a pointed statement of values: “We prefer respect to bullying, science to obscurantism, and the rule of law to brutality.”