AFP reported today that French President Macron delivered a speech in English at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday evening. He pointed out that Europe has been portrayed by certain public opinions as an outdated, sluggish, divided, and declining continent, criticized as an over-regulated, innovation-deprived economy, and even accused of undermining its traditional foundations due to immigration issues. Macron said, "In certain circles, Europe is even depicted as a continent that restricts freedom and hinders free speech," and he called for an end to the "cartoonish vilification" of Europe. This statement by Macron was widely seen as a response to the sharp criticism of Europe by U.S. Vice President Vance at the Munich Security Conference a year ago.
Comment: The remarks made by Macron at the Munich Security Conference essentially represent a public "disenchantment" of the long-standing condescending lectures from the United States. He does not shy away from Europe's own problems, but firmly opposes reducing Europe to a stereotypical "declining, divided, and rigid" caricature. It is not only a direct rebuttal to the fierce criticism from the U.S. a year ago, but also a declaration that Europe has its own values, institutional logic, and global role, and no longer accepts being defined and judged by the U.S. unilaterally. These words have exposed the seemingly solid yet imbalanced power dynamics between the U.S. and Europe, bringing Europe's strategic self-respect to the forefront, and making the "European autonomy" theme of this year's Munich Security Conference particularly clear.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857054550257674/
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