Macron warns of US pressure on EU and urges Europe to resist

Tuesday 10 February 2026 - 11:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Macron warns of US pressure on EU and urges Europe to resist

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Europe must brace for renewed confrontations with the United States, accusing the administration of President Donald Trump of pursuing policies that are openly hostile to the European Union and aimed at weakening the bloc. He said recent calm in transatlantic relations should not be mistaken for a lasting shift in Washington’s stance.

In interviews published by several European newspapers, including Le Monde and the Financial Times, Macron said the EU needed to draw lessons from what he described as the “Greenland moment”, referring to Trump’s expressed interest in acquiring the Danish territory. That episode, which triggered a tariff standoff in January, served as a shock that should push Europe to accelerate long-delayed economic and political reforms. Macron argued that attempts to ease tensions through compromise had failed and that clearer resistance was now required when confronted with direct pressure.

The French president said the United States was likely to challenge European digital regulation in the coming months, warning that the EU’s Digital Services Act could prompt new American tariffs. The legislation requires major online platforms to curb illegal content and strengthen protections for minors. Macron highlighted that France and Spain could be particularly exposed to retaliation because of plans to restrict children’s access to social media. France intends to ban access for users under 15 from September 2026, while Spain has announced a similar ban for those under 16.

Trump has previously threatened tariffs against countries whose digital policies are seen as discriminatory toward US technology companies, a position that has already strained relations with Brussels. Macron said these disputes illustrated the need for Europe to defend its regulatory sovereignty rather than retreat under pressure.

Ahead of an EU leaders’ retreat on competitiveness scheduled for February 12 in Belgium, Macron renewed his call for stronger economic sovereignty. He again advocated common borrowing instruments such as eurobonds, arguing that they would allow the bloc to finance strategic investments and reduce dependence on what he described as the dominance of the US dollar. He said the EU was less indebted than the United States and China and was failing to use that capacity at a time of intense global competition.

Macron urged Europe to increase investment in strategic sectors, including artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, warning that the continent risked being overtaken by American and Chinese rivals. He also called for deeper integration of the single market, regulatory simplification and more diversified trade partnerships, while cautioning against assuming that shifts in Washington’s tone signaled the end of underlying threats.