Macron Denies Trump's Claims on Drug Prices Amid Rising Franco-US Tensions

French President Emmanuel Macron has firmly denied allegations made by former U.S. President Donald Trump that he pressured France to raise drug prices. Trump, speaking at the Davos Forum, claimed he threatened tariffs on French imports, including wines and champagnes, to compel Macron to increase drug costs. The Élysée swiftly refuted these assertions, stating that drug pricing in France is governed by its social security system and has remained stable.

Macron, addressing business leaders at Davos on January 20, 2026, also criticized Trump's broader geopolitical threats, especially regarding Greenland, emphasizing that Europe should respond to disrespect not with brute force, but with respect and leveraging the European Union’s anti-coercion tools. This stance resonated with European leaders such as Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who highlighted mounting tensions between the U.S. and Europe.

Meanwhile, in Paris, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has invoked Article 49, paragraph 3 of the Constitution to expedite budget discussions despite opposition censure motions. Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the LR deputies, expressed support for the government’s diplomatic approach amid these heightened geopolitical tensions.

This episode continues a pattern of Trump making disputed claims about conversations with Macron, generating renewed calls for European unity and strategic responses to U.S. pressure.