Macron expresses feelings regarding ‘America first’
(MENAFN) French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Western Europe to pursue strategic independence from the United States, warning that Washington is increasingly shifting its focus away from the continent due to its ongoing “America First” approach. Macron shared his views in an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on Tuesday, commenting on the evolving nature of U.S.-European relations.
Since returning to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized both the European Union and the UK, accusing them of contributing too little to NATO and taking advantage of the U.S. through imbalanced trade. Recently, Trump suggested he might withdraw some or all of the 84,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Europe, arguing that Washington is not adequately reimbursed for providing security.
Macron acknowledged this trend, stating, “We know that American interests will increasingly move away from Europe.” He noted that European leaders have been aware of this shift for more than 15 years, pointing to key moments such as the U.S. refusal to join European military action in Syria, the unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan, and more recent developments.
Describing Trump’s "America First" policy as legitimate from an American perspective, Macron emphasized that it would be “irresponsible” for Europe not to achieve strategic autonomy within the next five to ten years.
Trump has also ramped up his criticism of EU trade practices. On Monday, he claimed the bloc is “nastier than China,” highlighting trade imbalances: “They sell us 13 million cars; we sell them none,” he said, also accusing Brussels of unfairly targeting U.S. tech firms like Apple, Google, and Meta through legal actions.
In early April, the U.S. imposed sweeping tariffs—20% on all EU goods and 25% on car imports and metals. Although Trump later paused most of these trade penalties for 90 days, baseline tariffs of 10% and 25% remain until both sides can reach a new agreement.
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