On a trip to Tokyo, Emmanuel Macron praised the “visibility” of Europe in contrast to the unpredictability seen in the United States under Donald Trump. Without naming him directly, Macron criticized Trump for launching a war in the Middle East without informing his allies, who were impacted economically.
“I know that sometimes Europe is seen as a continent that moves slower than others,” the French president said to a group of Japanese businessmen and investors on the second day of his visit to Japan. “But visibility has value, and we have demonstrated this in recent years, and dare I say, even in recent weeks: we are where you know we will go,” he added. “Not bad, in the current times, believe me,” he emphasized.
On the contrary, he criticized those who claim “we are much faster,” pointing out that “you don’t know if the day after tomorrow, they will still be in the same place and if tomorrow, they won’t make a decision that could impact you without even informing you.” This was a reference to the war initiated over a month ago by the American president and Israel against Iran, leading to the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, a key maritime passage for oil exports from the Middle East.
