In a sobering address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned that the world is drifting away from democracy and international law toward a landscape of autocracy and violence.
“It’s a shift to a world without rules, where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest,” Macron told the assembled global leaders and business elites on Tuesday. The French president warned that imperial ambitions were resurfacing, and that Donald Trump’s trade war was aimed at “weakening and subordinating” Europe.
Macron’s stark assessment comes at a time of growing geopolitical tension and the erosion of long-standing global frameworks. The rules-based international order, painstakingly built in the aftermath of World War II, appears to be giving way to a more primal struggle for power and influence.
“We are witnessing the return of imperialism and the law of the jungle,” Macron said, highlighting the troubling trend of authoritarian leaders and nationalist movements challenging the liberal democratic model. The French leader called for a renewed commitment to multilateralism and the defence of universal values, cautioning that the alternative was a descent into a “world without rules”.
The comments reflect growing concerns among European policymakers about the destabilising impact of America’s “America First” approach under the Trump administration. Macron’s warning echoes the fears of many that the rules-based international order, which has underpinned global stability and prosperity for decades, is now under grave threat.
As the world grapples with a range of crises, from climate change to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Macron’s message underscores the urgency of reinvigorating international cooperation and strengthening the institutions designed to safeguard peace and security.
“We must not be naive,” Macron concluded. “The forces that are threatening to pull us apart are strong, and we must be vigilant in defending the values and principles that have served us well for so long.”
