European Leaders Under Fire: Calls for Clearer Action from Scholz and Macron

Critics in Europe have leveled sharp judgments at two leading voices of the continent. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen claimed that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has shown unnecessary hesitation and a lack of clear direction, while he described French President Emmanuel Macron as delivering a lot of talk with little concrete action. The remarks were voiced in an interview with a Swiss publication and later summarized for the audience. According to Rasmussen, Macron’s statements about the possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine amount to empty words. He argued that such words are meant to mask what he views as insufficient aid from France, a critique that frames Macron as not fully matching the moment with decisive leadership. These comments underscore a broader debate about European leadership in times of crisis and the need for firmer, action-oriented responses from the main governments in Paris and Berlin. (attribution: Swiss newspaper)