French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the global order is drifting away from democracy, rules and cooperation, and moving towards power politics, instability and economic fragmentation.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Macron said the international system is under severe strain, with international law weakening and conflicts becoming increasingly normalised.
“The world is clearly shifting towards a world without rules,” Macron said, warning of rising autocracy and the growing use of force over diplomacy.
Conflicts and Instability on the Rise
Macron said more than 60 armed conflicts were recorded globally in 2024, highlighting how violence is no longer confined to traditional battlefields. He noted that conflict now extends into cyber space, trade, supply chains and information systems.
He cited Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, now nearing its fourth year, along with continuing conflicts in West Asia and across Africa, as evidence of the erosion of the rules-based international order. According to Macron, imperial ambitions are resurfacing, while multilateral institutions are being weakened or bypassed by major powers.
Trade Tensions and Global Imbalances
Turning to the global economy, Macron warned that cooperation is increasingly being replaced by aggressive competition. He criticised the growing use of tariffs and trade pressure that undermine European industries and exports.
He argued that global economic tensions are driven by deep structural imbalances, pointing to overconsumption in the United States, underconsumption and overinvestment in China, and underinvestment and weak competitiveness in Europe.
“These imbalances are widening development gaps and making it harder for poorer countries to escape poverty,” he said.
As France prepares to assume the G7 presidency, Macron said the group must prove it can still agree on a shared diagnosis of the global economy and deliver practical solutions.
Europe’s Strategy: Protection, Simplification and Investment
Macron outlined a three-pillar strategy for Europe: protection, simplification and investment.
He said Europe has been too naive in opening its markets without ensuring fair competition. While rejecting outright protectionism, he argued that European industries must be defended when trading partners fail to respect level playing fields.
Macron called for stronger use of EU trade defence tools and suggested moving towards a principle of European preference in public procurement and strategic sectors. He also stressed the need for higher-quality foreign direct investment, particularly from China, that supports European growth, technology transfer and industrial capacity.
Cutting Red Tape and Boosting Innovation
On competitiveness, Macron urged the European Union to reduce regulatory complexity across sectors including chemicals, digital technologies, artificial intelligence and finance. He also called for deeper integration of the EU single market so that Europe’s 450 million consumers function as a true domestic market.
Macron said the gap in GDP per capita between Europe and the United States is largely driven by differences in innovation and investment. Although Europeans save more, much of that capital is invested in low-risk assets or outside Europe. Completing the capital markets union, he said, would help channel savings into European innovation and growth.
Call for Multilateralism
Macron rejected both accepting what he described as the “law of the strongest” and limiting Europe’s role to moral commentary without action. Instead, he called for effective multilateralism based on sovereignty, cooperation and the rule of law.
He concluded by positioning Europe as a stable and predictable force in an increasingly volatile world, saying Europe prefers respect over bullying, science over obscurantism, and the rule of law over brute force.
