French President Emmanuel Macron said that overconfidence led him to make ‘big mistakes’ in the past, as he reflected on leadership and responsibility during an interview with media platform Brut.
Macron, who was in New Delhi for the India AI Summit, was asked about being the youngest French president in modern history and how he developed the confidence to lead at a young age.
“Being the youngest doesn’t last,” he quipped.
On the question of confidence, Macron said it was not a fixed personal trait but something shaped by people around him. “The others give you confidence,” he said, cautioning that “overconfidence is very negative.” He added, “Each time I was overconfident, I made mistakes. Big mistakes.”
Pressed to share an anecdote, the French leader declined to detail a specific instance but spoke about the risks of misjudging how words and actions are perceived.
“Sometimes you are 100% confident that it will be understood. It’s not automatically the case,” Macron said, noting that leaders can become “less sensitive to the way it will be perceived by others” when they are overly sure of themselves.
He emphasised the importance of doubt and careful judgment in leadership. “Being careful about how people will perceive your message, doubting about what you are doing — is it right or wrong — it is a moment you have to decide. It’s super important,” he said.
Macron also recalled launching his presidential campaign a decade ago, saying he drew confidence from the enthusiasm of his supporters. “I got confidence when I launched my campaign 10 years ago… they gave me their energy and their own confidence. This is a sort of circle of trust,” he said.
“What you have to feel as a leader is that each time somebody gives you this confidence, this trust… this is your responsibility,” he added.
India-France ties
Macron on Thursday said the two countries now share a Special Global Strategic Partnership, which is unique and will expand further.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Macron said India and France have built very strong relations over the past few years, which his visit has helped to consolidate, particularly in the area of defence.
“This is my fourth bilateral visit as president; the Prime Minister has also visited several times, we have seen each other more than twenty times, and in recent years we have consolidated a very strong relationship. This fuels an extremely dense agenda centered around a shared vision of the Indo-Pacific, as well as a desire to avoid any form of hegemony or vassalization in the region, and to avoid being in a position that is in any way conflictual,” he said, according to a video on the official account of the French Presidency and the Elysee Palace posted on X.