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Published on: 06/02/2026 - 18:04

This week, we welcome Pascal Lamy, former director general of the WTO and current vice-president of the Paris Peace Forum. He returns to the EU's relations with Donald Trump's United States, Europe's place in the world, particularly in the economic sector where industries lack competitiveness, and the growing mistrust of Europeans towards their institutions. We also offer you a new report on "the Arctic, land of all desires", signed Isabelle Romero and Luke Brown, present at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø.

Europe and the United States are facing a major crisis of confidence. Even if the tension has subsided, Donald Trump's desire to annex Greenland has shaken the transatlantic relationship. For Pascal Lamy, former European commissioner and former director general of the World Trade Organization, Europeans have an important lesson to learn from this crisis: "There is a big difference between rhetoric, this kind of hyperactivity, and reality. Greenland was important for us, and he was forced to step back." The EU can compete in a balance of power with the Americans, he believes.

“Europe must be stronger in the future”

But the Twenty-Seven must question the reliability of their American partner. Particularly with regard to the Ukrainian issue, the “real subject” for Europe according to Pascal Lamy. The vice-president of the Paris Peace Forum deplores the changing position of Donald Trump, putting more pressure on the Europeans than on Vladimir Putin. They are not currently invited to the peace negotiation table, but their presence is "inevitable" in the future according to him "because troops will be needed to guarantee the agreements". In addition, Europe now provides two-thirds of aid to Ukraine, notably with new aid of 90 billion euros approved by the EU for the period 2026-2027. However, he recognizes our dependence: "To obtain information on the positioning of Russian troops in Ukraine, we would like to do without the Americans. There are times when the balance of power is the balance of power, even if it hurts our stomach. We must be lucid: Europe must be stronger in the future."

Pascal Lamy discusses another burning issue: Iran. What position should we take in the face of the mullahs' regime, whose brutal repression of demonstrations has spread around the world? The vice-president of the Paris Peace Forum is measured. "The question is whether we send, as Trump is doing, boats to the area to change the regime. But who will replace him? And a military solution to depose a regime, without a certain idea of ​​what will follow, in my opinion, is still risky."

In a context of increased geopolitical tensions, 72% of EU citizens say they are "very concerned", according to a recent Eurobarometer survey by the European Parliament, and are calling for a more united Europe. This is also what Pascal Lamy notes. “Europeans are very supportive of European integration and external threats have increased this support across Europe.” But the continent must also face the distrust of part of the population towards European institutions. According to the same survey, 49% of respondents have a positive image of the EU, the figure even drops to 38% for the French. “It is not surprising that France stands out for its considerable pessimism compared to the others, because it perceives itself as doing worse than the others,” recognizes Pascal Lamy.

Increasingly marked skepticism, especially as the Commission would like to implement in advance the free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries. However, the MEPs took the matter to European justice: “As the European Parliament voted for a deadline, by a narrow majority, but that is democracy, I think that this deadline should be respected.”

“We must strengthen the internal market”

As a Council on Competitiveness approaches, the French Commissioner for Industry, Stéphane Séjourné, signed a forum with more than 1,000 bosses to establish a European preference in public aid and procurement, particularly in strategic sectors, to secure production and employment in Europe. “It’s an idea that makes sense,” says Pascal Lamy. “Our international competitors are doing it.”

The former director general of the WTO calls for more investments in the coming years to increase growth and thus be more competitive. “Our growth potential today is half that of the Americans, a third of that of the Chinese and a quarter of that of the Indians. To develop, we must strengthen the internal market. We have a deposit under our feet, the internal market, but we are not exploiting it.” If we don't have rare earths, other solutions exist: "China has been investing in rare earths in developing countries for 20 years, and refining them there."

Program prepared by Paul Guianvarc’h, Perrine Desplats and Oihana Almandoz

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