French President Emmanuel Macron has warned of a world without rules, praising Europe's predictability in contrast to countries that 'could hurt you without even informing you'. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Macron took an apparent swipe at US President Donald Trump, whose administration has been criticised for its unpredictable foreign policy.
Macron said: 'I'm well aware that sometimes Europe can be seen as a continent that is slower than others. But predictability has value, and we have demonstrated that over all these past years and, dare I say, even these past weeks: we are where you know we will go.'
His comments come amid growing tensions between the US and its allies, with Trump reportedly considering pulling the US out of Nato. Several European countries have been forced to respond to Trump's latest remarks, which have raised concerns about the future of the alliance.
Macron's speech at Davos echoed his earlier address in Tokyo, where he contrasted Europe's reliability with nations that say they are 'going much faster' but whose decisions could 'hurt you without even informing you'. The remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Finland's President Alexander Stubb said he spoke with Trump and described the discussion as 'constructive', adding that 'problems are there to be solved, pragmatically'. The EU has also sought to increase pressure on Hungary to drop its veto on a €90bn loan for Ukraine, with the European Commission pushing ahead with preparatory work.
