Donald Trump’s victory in the American presidential election generates an earthquake which leaves the EU prey to uncertainty, particularly with regard to the drift in economic policy and trade tensions with Washington. EU leaders call for responsibility to strengthen community autonomy and avoid excessive dependencies that put your future at risk.
Budapest was the setting in which the meeting of the European Political Community took place, which, in its fifth convening, welcomes almost fifty European countries. The community bloc’s message is one of unity and strength against the United States. A call to improve the autonomy of the bloc, to advance strategic sovereignty and national defense.
“We must decide and act,” urged French President Emmanuel Macron in his speech to the rest of the community leaders. In a subsequent approach, he recommended “national defense” and “strategic sovereignty” at a time when third countries promote a “distortion of global trade” due to the subsidies they grant to their industries.
““We need to be more in control of our destiny, not because of Donald Trump or Harry, but because of our children,” said EU Council President Charles Michel upon arriving at the meeting. “It is our responsibility to make decisions so as not to depend on what is decided elsewhere.. “We must deepen the single market, improve competitiveness and defense.”
In what will be his last meeting at the head of the meeting of the Twenty-seven Heads of State and Government of the EU, the Belgian politician sent a strong message. He was convinced that the United States and Europe “have a lot in common”, he called for a deepening of the alliance between the two, but ““We want to be a respectful and respected partner.”marked his lines. The EU, he said, wants to have “more influence”, strengthen its “economic prospects” and “negotiate the best possible compromises”.
“We remain open to collaboration with the United States”, but “We must be clear in defending what is ours. Europe must take care of itself,” said outgoing Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo. Regarding the shadow of customs tariffs hanging over Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the liberal politician believes that the EU and US States have more to gain from maintaining their trade relations, even if the community bloc has work to do to strengthen its competitiveness.
How the EU should handle a Republican return to Washington is realistic. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis refuses to approach transatlantic relations from a position of weakness. ““Europe cannot change the world, but it can change itself.”assured to reinforce the idea that challenges such as competitiveness and defense must be faced.
“It’s time to wake up geopolitically“, indicated the Greek leader. “I hope that we will reach a point where we will dialogue with the seriousness and urgency that this moment demands.”
Amid growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the transfer of North Korean troops to the military conflict, new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed that Trump had raised the allies’ ambitions by increasing spending by 2% of GDP on defense and claimed to exceed this ambition. “We need to do more“, indicated the Dutchman upon his arrival at the match.
