Macron Cautions Against “Survival of the Fittest” in Global Affairs

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday cautioned against allowing a “survival of the fittest” mentality to dominate international relations, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly.

Macron’s remarks came in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s scathing speech criticising the UN, during which he dismissed multilateral cooperation and cast doubt on global institutions.

Macron emphasised the risks of self-interest and domination: “That is the major risk of our time… a risk of seeing the survival of the fittest. It is the risk of seeing the selfishness of a few prevail.”

He added that global complexity should not justify abandoning principles or ambitions: “The world’s complexity is not a reason to throw in the towel on our principles and our ambitions. To a certain extent, ours is a moment of paradox. We need more than ever before to restore the spirit of cooperation that prevailed 80 years ago.”

Macron also criticised nations that seek to change international rules for domination, describing them as the UN’s “harshest critics.”

Macron defended his foreign policy initiatives, including support for Ukraine and recognition of a Palestinian state, announced from the same UN podium on Monday: “It’s because there is this refusal of double standards that France will stand side by side with Ukraine, as we do for peace in the Middle East.”

He highlighted France’s consistent stance against double standards in international affairs, positioning the country as a defender of cooperative diplomacy.

Despite previous tensions, Macron acknowledged a positive shift in US policy under President Trump regarding Ukraine: “I welcome the fact that the president of the USA believes in Ukraine’s ability.”

He noted that Trump’s statement suggested Kyiv could not only reclaim its original territory, but potentially achieve further gains, reflecting a subtle realignment in Washington’s position.