Emmanuel Macron said today in Budapest that Europeans should not “perpetually entrust” their security to the Americans and should more broadly “defend” their “interests” against the United States and China.

“It is a moment in history that is decisive for us Europeans. At bottom, the question is: do we want to read History written by others, about the wars launched by Vladimir Putin, about the American elections, about the technological and trade choices made by the Chinese? Or do we want to write History? And I believe we have the power to write it“, said the president of France at the start of the summit of the European Political Community.

Very aggressive, Emmanuel Macron said he congratulated Donald Trump, recalling that “some of us around this table have known him, four years ago, in the exercise of his duties”.

“He was elected by the American people and he will defend the interest of the American people and that is a legitimate and good thing. The question is whether we are ready to defend the interest of Europeans“, he said.

“I consider this to be our priority. We must not indulge in a naive “transatlanticism”, nor in the questioning of our alliances, nor also in a narrow-minded nationalism that would not allow us to meet this challenge vis-à-vis China and the United States of America».

“For me, it’s simple, the world consists of herbivores and carnivores. If we decide to remain herbivores, the carnivores will win and we will be a market for them,” added the French president, using the metaphor to urge Europeans to “at least” be “carnivores”.

“I don’t want us to be aggressive, I just want us to know how to defend each of these issues. But I don’t want to leave Europe as an amazing field inhabited by herbivores that the carnivores will come to devour, according to their agenda».