French President Emmanuel Macron’s desperate attempt to halt his country’s investment in America reveals the true panic setting in as Trump’s tariffs expose the economic house of cards they’ve built on globalist fantasies.

At a Glance

• Macron urged French companies to freeze US investments after Trump announced 20% tariffs on European goods
• French business leaders have openly rejected Macron’s call, prioritizing their American market interests
• Economy Minister Éric Lombard demanded “patriotism” from French companies, asking them to avoid US investments
• The US market remains attractive to French businesses due to cheaper energy and favorable tax conditions
• Presidential Envoy Ric Grenell warned France of potential financial consequences for trying to manipulate the tariff process

Macron’s Economic Temper Tantrum

In what can only be described as a full-blown economic meltdown, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for French companies to halt all investments in the United States after President Trump announced a 20% tariff hike on European goods. Macron, visibly rattled during his meeting with representatives from affected sectors, described Trump’s tariffs as “brutal and unfounded” – apparently forgetting that protecting domestic industries is exactly what national leaders are supposed to do.

The French president seems to believe that throwing a tantrum will somehow convince American leadership to prioritize European interests over American ones.

Macron declared that “Future investments, investments announced in the last weeks, should be suspended for a time,” apparently believing his words carry enough weight to convince business leaders to abandon the world’s largest consumer market over his hurt feelings.

Let’s be honest – Macron’s sudden discovery of economic patriotism would be laughable if it weren’t so pathetically transparent. For years, globalist leaders like him have preached borderless trade while watching their domestic industries wither. Now that Trump is putting America first, they’re scrambling to copy his playbook while pretending they came up with the idea.

French Business Leaders Aren’t Buying It

In a refreshing display of backbone rarely seen in today’s corporate world, French business leaders have essentially told Macron where he can stuff his investment freeze. Major French corporations like Pernod Ricard and Dior, which have substantial investments and expansion plans in America, have flatly rejected the president’s call to economic arms. These business leaders, unlike their government counterparts, understand basic economic reality: the American market isn’t something you abandon because your president’s feelings got hurt by mean old tariffs.

“Together and with all our sectors, we will be able to protect ourselves and accelerate the reindustrialisation of Europe”, says Macron.

The hypocrisy is thick enough to cut with a knife. Macron speaks of “reindustrializing Europe” after decades of European policies that deliberately shipped manufacturing overseas, suffocated businesses with regulations, and prioritized climate virtue signaling over energy independence. Now they’re shocked – shocked! – to discover that businesses prefer America’s cheaper energy and lower taxes. This is what happens when you run your economy based on globalist fantasies rather than economic realities – your businesses vote with their feet.

Economy Minister Demands “Patriotism”

Not to be outdone in the economic delusion department, Economy Minister Éric Lombard chimed in by urging French companies to show “patriotism” and avoid investing in the U.S. This is the same government that has spent years lecturing businesses about their obligation to embrace globalism, open borders, and international cooperation above national interests. Now suddenly they’re waving the flag and calling for economic nationalism? The cognitive dissonance is enough to give you whiplash. It seems patriotism is only valuable to European leaders when it serves their immediate political needs.

The notion that protecting American industries will make Americans “weaker and poorer” is the kind of backward economic thinking that’s been destroying Western manufacturing for decades. Perhaps Macron should look at his own country’s unemployment rate before lecturing others on economic prosperity. The truth is that Trump’s America First policies created record employment and wage growth before the pandemic, while Europe continued its slow economic decline. Now that Trump is poised to return to office and reinstate those policies, Europe’s globalist leaders are panicking as their economic house of cards begins to tremble.