‘You Have A Call’: Macron’s Quirky Rafale Post Urges Europe To Rethink US Jet Dependence

Last Updated:June 20, 2025, 20:19 IST

Emmanuel Macron has been a consistent advocate for strengthening European defence independence.

Emmanuel Macron's post featured a Rafale jet styled like an incoming call on a smartphone.

In a message to European allies, French President Emmanuel Macron took to social media with a quirky post promoting France’s Rafale fighter jet. Posted on X (formerly Twitter), the image featured a Rafale jet styled like an incoming call on a smartphone. The on-screen message read, “Secure our Europe" while the caption teased, “European friends, you have a call."

The post is being widely seen as a call for Europe to reduce its reliance on US-made fighter jets like the F-35 and instead embrace European-made defense systems.

Emmanuel Macron has been a consistent advocate for strengthening European defence independence. He said earlier this year, “We must offer European alternatives to countries accustomed to American equipment. Scaling up production of these systems will lower costs and create a self-sustaining defence network across Europe."

France’s Rafale, a 4.5-generation multi-role fighter developed by Dassault Aviation, is already in use by several countries including India and Egypt. But in recent years, many European nations- including Poland and Finland- have opted for the US-made F-35, a fifth-generation stealth jet from Lockheed Martin.

Emmanuel Macron–Donald Trump Spat

The Rafale post comes hot on the heels of a sharp Emmanuel Macron–Donald Trump exchange over the Israel-Iran conflict. Speaking to reporters after Donald Trump left the G7 summit early, Emmanuel Macron suggested that the US president was possibly headed back to Washington to negotiate a ceasefire. Donald Trump quickly fired back on Truth Social, calling Emmanuel Macron a “publicity-seeking" leader who “always gets it wrong."

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News world ‘You Have A Call’: Macron’s Quirky Rafale Post Urges Europe To Rethink US Jet Dependence