During a meeting in Budapest on Thursday, European leaders called on Donald Trump to steer clear of trade wars, continue supporting Ukraine, and avoid actions that could disrupt the global order following his recent victory in the U.S. presidential election.
Trump’s incredible political comeback was the main topic of the discussions among the European leaders.
Greek PM Mitsotakis sat to discuss it implications with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is expected to visit Athens on Friday, the Albanian PM Edi Rama and the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides. (main photo)
Trump’s victory presents a significant challenge for Europe, ushering in a period of great uncertainty at a time when the continent is already struggling to maintain unity. Europe’s two leading powers, Germany—where the government has just fractured—and a weakened France, now face added strain, Reuters notes.
“I trust the American society,” European Council chief Charles Michel said as he and others urged Trump to continue to support Ukraine, as they arrived at a meeting of nearly 50 European leaders in Budapest.
“They know it is in their interest to show firmness when we engage with authoritarian regimes. If the United States were weak with Russia, what would it mean for China?”
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was now up to the European Union to be united. No E.U. member state on their own can manage the upcoming challenges, she said.
On Ukraine, she said: “It is in all our interests that the autocrats of this world get a very clear message that is not the right of might, that the rule of law is important.”
European leaders concerned with Trump
Many of the leaders said they were looking forward to working with Trump. The summit host, Hungary’s rightwing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is one of Trump’s few close allies among European leaders, and has said he would pop champagne corks if Trump won, Reuters reports.
“President Trump is known sometimes for a degree of unpredictability, a degree of volatility, so we need dialogue,” Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden said. “We will seek dialogue, but we will not give up our principles.”
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he was concerned about the prospect of a trade war: “It should not be allowed to happen,” he said. “Let’s now try to influence the U.S. and Trump’s future policy so that he understands the risks involved.”
Adding to the uncertainty hanging over the Budapest gatherings, Germany’s three-party government broke apart on Wednesday evening as Chancellor Olaf Scholz sacked his finance minister and paved the way for a general election.
“One thing is for sure, Europe is not strong without a strong Germany,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said.
Mitsotakis urges Europe to “wake up” from “geopolitical naivety”
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned his European colleagues that Europe cannot approach the Transatlantic partnership from a position of weakness, and he called for added efforts to build strength in the E.U.
“I would like to start by expressing my congratulations to President Trump for his sweeping victory and to express the hope that the transatlantic relation will remain strong, in order to resolve important regional and international problems,” Mitsotakis said.
He also noted: “Of course, we have to be quite realistic as Europeans and we cannot approach this Transatlantic partnership from a position of weakness. Europe cannot change the world, but it can certainly change itself to face a changing world.”
He said it is time for Europe to “wake up” from our geopolitical naivety and realize the need to secure additional resources to be able to face the big challenges, whether they are issues of competitiveness or issues of European defense.
“I hope we’ve reached a point where we’re having this conversation with the seriousness and urgency that these times demand,” Mitsotakis added.
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