During an industrial summit in Antwerp, Belgium, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed competitive practices in Europe, advocating for a 'buy European' approach supported by significant investments and shared EU loans. He pointed out the reliance on both private and public funding in the U.S., emphasizing the imbalance in competition with Europe.

Macron specifically criticized Elon Musk, stating that while many admire Musk's Starlink project, he is one of the wealthiest individuals benefiting from substantial U.S. taxpayer subsidies. Macron characterized Musk as being overly supported by federal agencies, labeling this approach as 'extremely innovative' to highlight the problematic nature of such subsidies in an international market.

In response, Musk took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to counter Macron's remarks, indicating a likely escalation in their public discourse around investment and competitiveness in the tech industry. Macron's statements reflect a broader EU strategy to increase collective borrowing to compete with economic giants such as the U.S. and China.