In a recent development, French President Emmanuel Macron has intensified his call for the European Union to undertake significant economic reforms, emphasizing the urgency of strategic autonomy amid escalating tensions with the United States and China. At an informal EU retreat, Macron, alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, highlighted the need for faster reforms and deeper market integration, warning that decisions must be made by June or risk further fragmentation within the bloc (Times Now World, February 12, 2026). Macron's remarks underscore a growing concern that Europe is lagging behind global competitors, with the French leader stating, 'We have the Chinese tsunami on the trade front, and we have minute-by-minute instability on the American side' (Dawn, February 11, 2026).