After Donald Trump's victory, Emmanuel Macron's astonishing formula to call on the EU to take action

POLITICS – In politics, everything is a matter of pedagogy. The day after a high-tension American election, Emmanuel Macron returned in his own way to the geopolitical consequences of the election of Donald Trump. For the French President, there is no doubt: Europe must assert itself on the international scene. War in Ukraine, bombings in Gaza, Russian inclinations… There is no question of the Old Continent giving in.

“We must assume protection of our democracieshe recalled during a trip to Hungary, accompanied by ultraconservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. If we become the theater of external propaganda, because we are naive, liberal democracies will be swept away”. To demonstrate this confrontation between a Europe with laudable but powerless intentions, and powers ready to do anything to extend their influence, Emmanuel Macron used a somewhat surprising formula.

Animal metaphor

“The world is made up of herbivores and carnivores. If we decide to remain herbivores, the carnivores will win. It wouldn't be bad to be omnivores. I don't want to be aggressive, I just want people to know how to defend themselves.” he illustrated, invoking an animal metaphor. Europeans repainted as herbivores, harmless and probably too naive, swallowed whole by carnivores? The Head of State does not want such a scenario, where in the end, Europe would be “devour”.

The return of Donald Trump to the White House, but also the war led by Vladimir Putin in Ukraine, and the instability in the Middle East, create a situation of uncertainty and suggest the worst. But for Emmanuel Macron, none of these questions are insurmountable. It calls on the inhabitants of the Member States to “become aware of what Europe is: an unrivaled geopolitical power”. While regretting that we “not assume itself as a fully independent power” and that part of our security in particular be delegated to the United States, through NATO.

“OSS 117 is jealous”

During the campaign, Donald Trump hammered home his isolationist strategy and threatened to leave the Atlantic alliance if all of its members did not increase their contributions. Enough to fear the worst for the future of NATO, which has been based since its creation in 1949 on a principle of solidarity between States. “We must be lucid, ambitious, determined”underlined Emmanuel Macron.

Whatever the case, this call for a start by summoning the « carnivores » and the « herbivores » has in any case not gone unnoticed. “OSS 117 is jealous of this replica”mocked MP Aymeric Caron, when his Insoumis colleague Arnaud Saint-Martin bluntly asked: “What weed did he smoke?” “.

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