Washington and Beijing are leaving the European Union lagging behind, French President Emmanuel Macron said in pessimistic remarks.
“Our former model is over. We are overregulating and underinvesting. In the two to three years to come, if we follow our classical agenda, we will be out of the market,” he warned during a panel discussion at the Berlin Global Dialogue meeting on Wednesday.
“The EU could die, we are on a verge of a very important moment,” he added.
The French president argued that Europe is lagging behind the Unites States and China on key files such as climate change, AI, defense and security.
Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi raised a similar warning in a report published in September, saying that the EU faces an “existential challenge” unless it radically transforms its economy to enhance its competitiveness.
Macron said he fully supports Draghi’s conclusions and that Europe should rush to implement them. “I think this is quite true, we are at risk,” he said.
“They invest much more, they are much more in advance,” he said, adding that looking at gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the past three decades the U.S. delivered an increase of 60 percent, Europe only delivered 30 percent.
“And it’s not sustainable with the social model that we have,” he added.
Macron argued that to be competitive in today’s multipolar world order the EU should deepen the single market and simplify its regulations.
“If we want clearly to be more competitive and have our place in this multipolar order first we need a simplification shock,” Macron said.
Talking about trade, the French president said that if China and the U.S. do not respect the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the EU should not respect them either.
“Twenty-five years ago, we thought that [with] China joining WTO it would comply with the laws. It is not the case,” he said, adding that in 2022 the U.S. also decided not to be compliant with WTO rules related to the Fishing Regulation Act.
“And I have a suggestion,” he said, “when both U.S. and China do not respect the rules, we should not be the only one in the room to just abide the rules. This doesn’t fly.
“I don’t suggest trying to become protectionist, this is an awful world, but at least to be fair. With our industry, with our farmers, with our people,” he added.
Iant-Iaur on
He is absolutely correct! We all need the EU that is stronger, more capable and better economically. US cannot stand alone against all the shit that’s arraying against the West.
Isotheis on
I think he’s actually quite optimistic.
Well, you know what they say… The best time to do something was a few years ago, the second best time is now.
SimonGray on
He is partly right, but he also talks as if the entire European Union is like France.
AbaloneOk8974 on
Europe is making unicorns too. The supply chain is specialized and global and intertwined. The world is going forward and if anyone is left behind it’s certainly not Europe.
PxddyWxn on
Way too late. American influence is very strong in most of the EU.
WSHK99 on
Just words, no action and commitment
BeerLovingRobot on
Maybe open yourself up to competition and deregulation to drive creation of new companies which becomes the new market leaders.
BarskiPatzow on
Hard to win against slavery.
kalelmotoko on
Macron is all talk.
When the time come for making change in the good direction he does the opposite.
Honestly it’s just sad how this work, because he has a really good marketing team, and all of this is smoke in the air.
suppreme on
I’m really not a Macron opponent but many of his policies and personal picks have been contradicting this for years.
Thierry Breton was his pick. Regulating tech was a foundation of his 2022 campaign although you could already see we were missing the opportunity. Von Der Leyen was his call too, and look at that never ending disaster
Then there are the contradictions left unsaid. Germany wants to kill French cheap energy (nuclear) to save its own industry. There has been _zero_ fight given on this topic, barely acknowledged although central for the decade to come.
I’m a die hard Union proponent but if it did not get more accountable and bring more output to member states in the last decade… what will?
louisxxxi on
He’s right for once, but he’s just stating a fact.
As usual, he has no plan behind that, just doing his usual PR bullshit.
Plus, anyone working in tech could see that for years.
Kahzootoh on
He is right.
I think he doesn’t do enough to stress that China has long been violating the WTO rules whereas the US abandoned them on recently, but he is essentially correct.
The EU is still on the same path that the US was until 2022, where China’s mercantilist trade policy was gradually destroying the industry of other countries.
At the time the US started to change its policy, it felt more like EU members wanted the US to return to a policy of slowly being devoured by the Chinese rather than spend money on itself.
It would be great if the EU could change policy, otherwise the alternative is falling behind – or having the industrial base of the EU hollowed out by Chinese dumping and one sided trade policy.
AzzakFeed on
I think it’s already too late for the EU. Paralyzed by traitors from the inside, debt, overworked social services, a war on its borders…
Unless they somehow remake a new EU, I don’t see how it can improve
WorthWorker7412 on
Why so competitive, Manu?
lawrotzr on
Macron is right, as he is more often. But that doesn’t win you votes in France and/or from babyboomers.
Adventurous-Lion1527 on
Let me guess, he wants more austerity
Poopynuggateer on
“Climate change”
No. We are not lagging behind.
“AI”
Not really, and in what way? It has yet to prove itself useful. It’s certainly not making anybody lots of money, and it *takes* more jobs than it produces.
Thurallor on
Oh, no! Only 2 or 3 years? Which will destroy Europel first — economic “domination” or climate change?
Our “last change to address climate change” was 10-15 years ago, so does it really matter?
The hyperventilating rhetoric of these politicians…
GrandAdmiralSnackbar on
Ok, cut regulations. Which ones?
The ones protecting EU workers, so they can be exploited as much as US and Chinese workers?
Environmental regulations, so our heavy industry can compete again, and pollute our air and water?
CSRD to reduce reporting burden that doesn’t exist in USA or China?
Food safety regulations?
Being vague is easy. Cutting regulations, who isn’t for that. But then, once you hit the specifics, it gets difficult.
Jorixa on
Wtf is he talking about, we invented the attached bottle cap
Effective_Lazy69 on
We are a bunch of pussies
BliksemseBende on
So, EU is losing the competition to a market where employees need to have two or three jobs and medical care is a big thing. And the other markets where oligarchs who keep the products low prices with tax money to sell it elsewhere in the world. Hm, ok to compare apples with pears
woketarted on
No word about border controls and 0 unskilled migration going forward. Migration will be the downfall of europe.
And we immediately need to stop supporting Ukraine and get back on cheap russian gas , our economy is dead without cheap gas
Falloutballout90 on
Americans need to take note of this, Europeans have long been talking about us like we’re their enemy. Because to them WE ARE their enemy. We’re blissfully ignorant of the knife being held at our back. Thankfully Macron is such an ignorant loudmouth that we see this every day.
Asleep-Estate1066 on
Actually Europe has 0 years left…
Blindeafmuten on
Good! Now, let’s form some high paid committees and brainstorm in the next 4 years on what we should do.
canseco-fart-box on
Maybe someone should convince Germany that deficits aren’t some big scary evil monster that need to be avoided at all costs….
stuffundfluff on
when open ai came out with GPT, what was the EU’s reaction? It was to celebrate the creation of new regulation
imagine that, patting themselves on the back for regulating before they even created a single thing with this new piece of tech
Joe_Kangg on
How can the EU, a collection of territories with varying cultures and regulations, be considered on the same level as a China or US?
They need to work with niches and support the giants battling each other.
Rexbob44 on
I mean the US already is economically dominant although if the country’s in the EU can cut some of their business regulations and encourage more domestic industry and fix their birth rate issue. They might be able to outlast China who’s population pyramid looks like it’s going to start going upside down in the next 30 years and is slowing down and is no longer looking like they’re going to be able to catch up economically to the US. Otherwise Europe might be destined to be the Austria-Hungary to the United Stateses Germany (if it merged with Britain to become one super empire)
31 Comments
Washington and Beijing are leaving the European Union lagging behind, French President Emmanuel Macron said in pessimistic remarks.
“Our former model is over. We are overregulating and underinvesting. In the two to three years to come, if we follow our classical agenda, we will be out of the market,” he warned during a panel discussion at the Berlin Global Dialogue meeting on Wednesday.
“The EU could die, we are on a verge of a very important moment,” he added.
The French president argued that Europe is lagging behind the Unites States and China on key files such as climate change, AI, defense and security.
Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi raised a similar warning in a report published in September, saying that the EU faces an “existential challenge” unless it radically transforms its economy to enhance its competitiveness.
Macron said he fully supports Draghi’s conclusions and that Europe should rush to implement them. “I think this is quite true, we are at risk,” he said.
“They invest much more, they are much more in advance,” he said, adding that looking at gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the past three decades the U.S. delivered an increase of 60 percent, Europe only delivered 30 percent.
“And it’s not sustainable with the social model that we have,” he added.
Macron argued that to be competitive in today’s multipolar world order the EU should deepen the single market and simplify its regulations.
“If we want clearly to be more competitive and have our place in this multipolar order first we need a simplification shock,” Macron said.
Talking about trade, the French president said that if China and the U.S. do not respect the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the EU should not respect them either.
“Twenty-five years ago, we thought that [with] China joining WTO it would comply with the laws. It is not the case,” he said, adding that in 2022 the U.S. also decided not to be compliant with WTO rules related to the Fishing Regulation Act.
“And I have a suggestion,” he said, “when both U.S. and China do not respect the rules, we should not be the only one in the room to just abide the rules. This doesn’t fly.
“I don’t suggest trying to become protectionist, this is an awful world, but at least to be fair. With our industry, with our farmers, with our people,” he added.
He is absolutely correct! We all need the EU that is stronger, more capable and better economically. US cannot stand alone against all the shit that’s arraying against the West.
I think he’s actually quite optimistic.
Well, you know what they say… The best time to do something was a few years ago, the second best time is now.
He is partly right, but he also talks as if the entire European Union is like France.
Europe is making unicorns too. The supply chain is specialized and global and intertwined. The world is going forward and if anyone is left behind it’s certainly not Europe.
Way too late. American influence is very strong in most of the EU.
Just words, no action and commitment
Maybe open yourself up to competition and deregulation to drive creation of new companies which becomes the new market leaders.
Hard to win against slavery.
Macron is all talk.
When the time come for making change in the good direction he does the opposite.
Honestly it’s just sad how this work, because he has a really good marketing team, and all of this is smoke in the air.
I’m really not a Macron opponent but many of his policies and personal picks have been contradicting this for years.
Thierry Breton was his pick. Regulating tech was a foundation of his 2022 campaign although you could already see we were missing the opportunity. Von Der Leyen was his call too, and look at that never ending disaster
Then there are the contradictions left unsaid. Germany wants to kill French cheap energy (nuclear) to save its own industry. There has been _zero_ fight given on this topic, barely acknowledged although central for the decade to come.
I’m a die hard Union proponent but if it did not get more accountable and bring more output to member states in the last decade… what will?
He’s right for once, but he’s just stating a fact.
As usual, he has no plan behind that, just doing his usual PR bullshit.
Plus, anyone working in tech could see that for years.
He is right.
I think he doesn’t do enough to stress that China has long been violating the WTO rules whereas the US abandoned them on recently, but he is essentially correct.
The EU is still on the same path that the US was until 2022, where China’s mercantilist trade policy was gradually destroying the industry of other countries.
At the time the US started to change its policy, it felt more like EU members wanted the US to return to a policy of slowly being devoured by the Chinese rather than spend money on itself.
It would be great if the EU could change policy, otherwise the alternative is falling behind – or having the industrial base of the EU hollowed out by Chinese dumping and one sided trade policy.
I think it’s already too late for the EU. Paralyzed by traitors from the inside, debt, overworked social services, a war on its borders…
Unless they somehow remake a new EU, I don’t see how it can improve
Why so competitive, Manu?
Macron is right, as he is more often. But that doesn’t win you votes in France and/or from babyboomers.
Let me guess, he wants more austerity
“Climate change”
No. We are not lagging behind.
“AI”
Not really, and in what way? It has yet to prove itself useful. It’s certainly not making anybody lots of money, and it *takes* more jobs than it produces.
Oh, no! Only 2 or 3 years? Which will destroy Europel first — economic “domination” or climate change?
Our “last change to address climate change” was 10-15 years ago, so does it really matter?
The hyperventilating rhetoric of these politicians…
Ok, cut regulations. Which ones?
The ones protecting EU workers, so they can be exploited as much as US and Chinese workers?
Environmental regulations, so our heavy industry can compete again, and pollute our air and water?
CSRD to reduce reporting burden that doesn’t exist in USA or China?
Food safety regulations?
Being vague is easy. Cutting regulations, who isn’t for that. But then, once you hit the specifics, it gets difficult.
Wtf is he talking about, we invented the attached bottle cap
We are a bunch of pussies
So, EU is losing the competition to a market where employees need to have two or three jobs and medical care is a big thing. And the other markets where oligarchs who keep the products low prices with tax money to sell it elsewhere in the world. Hm, ok to compare apples with pears
No word about border controls and 0 unskilled migration going forward. Migration will be the downfall of europe.
And we immediately need to stop supporting Ukraine and get back on cheap russian gas , our economy is dead without cheap gas
Americans need to take note of this, Europeans have long been talking about us like we’re their enemy. Because to them WE ARE their enemy. We’re blissfully ignorant of the knife being held at our back. Thankfully Macron is such an ignorant loudmouth that we see this every day.
Actually Europe has 0 years left…
Good! Now, let’s form some high paid committees and brainstorm in the next 4 years on what we should do.
Maybe someone should convince Germany that deficits aren’t some big scary evil monster that need to be avoided at all costs….
when open ai came out with GPT, what was the EU’s reaction? It was to celebrate the creation of new regulation
imagine that, patting themselves on the back for regulating before they even created a single thing with this new piece of tech
How can the EU, a collection of territories with varying cultures and regulations, be considered on the same level as a China or US?
They need to work with niches and support the giants battling each other.
I mean the US already is economically dominant although if the country’s in the EU can cut some of their business regulations and encourage more domestic industry and fix their birth rate issue. They might be able to outlast China who’s population pyramid looks like it’s going to start going upside down in the next 30 years and is slowing down and is no longer looking like they’re going to be able to catch up economically to the US. Otherwise Europe might be destined to be the Austria-Hungary to the United Stateses Germany (if it merged with Britain to become one super empire)