The left-wing politicians turn right, and Trump begins to share the same frequency ---Macron's speech at the Davos Forum (excerpt) In the current global order, we must respond to China's actions We must also promote the principle of 'Europe First' Europe must strengthen its trade defense tools, including taking reciprocal measures Diversify trading partners Dealing with China, prioritizing Europe, achieving trade equality, and flexible supply chains... Do you think you are familiar with Trump's slogan? Here are some excerpts: The world is turning towards authoritarianism and deviating from democracy... Conflicts have become normalized, mixed, and extended to new fields such as space, digital information, networks, trade, and so on. The world is turning towards ignoring rules. International law has been trampled upon recklessly, and the only seemingly important law has become the law of the strong. The world is shifting towards a lack of effective collective governance. The major powers that obstruct or deviate from multilateralism are weakening it, and the rules are being undermined. ... We are stifling the architecture that allows us to correct the situation and address common challenges. Without collective governance, cooperation will give way to ruthless competition. This competition comes from the United States of America, who demand maximum concessions through trade agreements that harm our export interests, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe, coupled with endless new tariffs, which are fundamentally unacceptable, especially when they are used as chips against territorial sovereignty. This competition also comes from China, where massive overcapacity and distorted behavior are threatening to inundate the entire industrial and commercial sector. Export controls have become more dangerous, and new tools are destabilizing global trade and the international system. ... That's why addressing global economic imbalances is our top priority. Looking at the situation, the current imbalance stems from some key phenomena, and we must all fulfill our own agendas. This includes overconsumption in the United States, underconsumption and overinvestment in China, and underinvestment and lack of competitiveness in Europe. By the way, these imbalances are also reflected in the development gap. We can no longer be satisfied with aid that neither produces effective results nor helps the country escape poverty. ... Europe clearly needs to address its key issue, which is the lack of growth... The growth strategy should be based on three pillars: protection, simplification, and investment. As the diagnosis results are well known, Europe's competitiveness still lags behind that of the United States, and in the current global order, we must respond to China's actions. Firstly, protection. Protection does not equate to protectionism. Today's Europeans are too naive. This is a unique market that is open to everyone without checking for a fair competitive environment. No one can enter the Chinese market like people enter the European market, that's for sure. Even the United States and many other countries have a degree of protection in investment and trade. When other countries do not adhere to a fair competition environment, Europeans are the only ones who do not protect their own companies and markets. That's why we must be more realistic. If we want to protect Our industries, from the automotive industry to many others, must do so because the lack of respect for normal frameworks and a fair competitive environment is stifling them. Europe now has very powerful tools, and when we are not respected, when the rules of the game are not respected, we must use them... We must also promote the principle of 'Europe First'. Your market follows the North American priority principle. Today, there is no principle of prioritizing Europe. We are gradually establishing it... We are currently closely coordinating with Germany to adopt an ambitious and simplified framework. This is a decisive project, and I hope that the European Commission can propose this plan in early 2026 to implement the principle of prioritizing Europe in different fields... Regarding protection issues, we must also take action on imports. Against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions and overcapacity in Asia, Europe must strengthen its trade defense tools, including taking reciprocal measures to enforce regulatory standards, and we must also improve the quality and added value of foreign direct investment (FDI) for projects with strong export potential. This is the core of rebalancing with China. We welcome China, but we need more direct investment from China in key areas in Europe to promote our growth, transfer some technology, rather than just exporting equipment or products to Europe that sometimes have different standards or receive more subsidies than European products. This does not belong to protectionism, it is purely about restoring a fair competition environment and protecting our industry. Therefore, from safeguard clauses to European priorities, to encouraging more FDI, this strategy is absolutely crucial. At the same time, protecting our economy also requires a resilient strategy for imports and exports to de risk the supply chain, especially for raw materials, semiconductors, chips, and diversify trading partners.