French President Emmanuel Macron made a strong plea for the U.K. and other European countries to de-risk their relationships with and decrease their reliance on both the U.S. and China. Mr. Macron made these remarks in an address to both Houses of the British Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, the first day of his three-day state visit to the U.K.
While his remarks on China are not unusual, the repeated references to the risks of partnering with the U.S. indicate the extent of the structural changes the transatlantic relationship has undergone, following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
“We will have, as well, to de-risk our two countries for the excessive dependencies on both the U.S. and China,” Mr. Macron said, adding that he was not equating China and the U.S.
“We have a strong ally on one side and a challenger, sometimes a partner when we speak about climate change, with China,” he said. The French, British and others in Europe had to build solid value chains and reduce dependencies on both countries to safeguard their future, according to Mr. Macron.
China could distort supply chains with its (excess) capacity and subsidies, Mr Macron said, while also hitting out at the U.S.
“The trade war is clearly an explicit decision not to be compliant anymore with the WTO [World Trade Organization] ,” he said.
Mr. Macron did not stop at calling out the risks of partnering with the U.S. and China in the economic and technological fields. Europe, he warned, had to defend its democracies from foreign interference, “manipulation” and the “domination of minds by negative emotions and addictions to social media”.
Europeans were becoming vulnerable to algorithm design in the U.S., in China and Russia, Mr. Macron said, as he called for new regulations.
“…Otherwise, our future will be decided by those who will decide for this algorithm,” he said.
Without naming Mr. Trump — who has pushed European allies in the NATO military alliance to spend more on defence — Mr. Macron said that the U.K. and France had set an example by committing to spend more on defence, to reduce their dependencies and build a strong European pillar in NATO.
He spoke about Anglo-French cooperation on climate and biodiversity in the face of challenges.
“Together we commit to the planet, in the face of the new league of international reactionaries who deny science and facts, we also defend with one voice, implementation of our climate ambitions towards carbon neutrality, phasing out fossil fuels and protecting forests,” Mr. Macron said.
‘We want the ceasefire, no discussions’ : Macron on Gaza
On Gaza, Mr. Macron called for an immediate ceasefire without conditions, in strong terms.
“Today, a dehumanisation is occurring there that can never be justified,” he said, also calling for the release of hostages captured by Hamas in October 2023.
“Calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition is just telling the rest of the world that for us, as Europeans, there is no double standard. And as we are attached to human lives, as we are attached to territorial integrity, we want the ceasefire, no discussion,” he said, saying working for a state of Palestine was imperative for peace.
Mr. Macron’s speech on Wednesday was focused on the historical closeness between the U.K. and France, the détente between them following a few difficult years, which were marked by Britain’s departure from the European Union. He called for close cooperation between the allies, framing the world in terms of challenges that the two countries could deal with better, working together.
The French President is due to have a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer — who was in the audience for his speech — on Wednesday. The operational part of the summit is scheduled for Thursday. Mr. Macron outlined the cooperation they would seek on migration, energy, space in addition to defence and security.
The issue of migrants crossing the English Channel on ‘small boats’ and entering the U.K. has become a major political challenge, especially for Mr. Starmer, who is trying to fend off the nativist Reform UK Party, which has made significant gains in both national and local elections over the last year.
Earlier on Tuesday, the President and France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron were accorded a royal welcome — greeted at RAF Northolt airbase by William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and taken to Windsor Castle, on the outskirts of London, for a ceremonial welcome by Britain’s monarch King Chrales III and Camilla, the Queen. A State banquet was scheduled for Tuesday evening.
Published – July 08, 2025 11:38 pm IST
