Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who is playing a major role in European politics this year, warned that Europe must be prepared to be on its own if Donald Trump returns to the White House in 2024, stressing that Europe must become “stronger, more sovereign and more self-reliant”, on Tuesday, the 16th of January, reports Politico.
Donald Trump is the clear frontrunner for the US Republican Party’s nomination for the presidency, with a landslide victory at the Iowa caucuses, giving him a strong start in the elections.
In a speech to the European Parliament (EP), the Belgian Prime Minister warned that
if “America First” returns in 2024, Europe will have to rely on itself more than ever,
adding that Europeans should not be afraid of this, but should accept it.
Donald Trump’s possible second term has raised concerns among European Union (EU) officials. The concern is that a Trump presidency could disrupt trade and lead to a cutoff of US support for European security efforts, writes Politico.
De Kro’s remarks echo former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2017 speech after Trump’s victory, in which she stressed that Europe can only rely on itself.
German politicians also echoed Angela Merkel’s view that Europe should increase its independence in the face of a possible Trump comeback.
For example, Norbert Röttgen, a Christian Democratic Union parliamentarian, stressed in an interview that Germany should urgently prepare for the possibility of Trump’s return by increasing arms production so that Ukraine can defend itself against Russia regardless of whether the US will help, stressing that Europe’s freedom depends on it.
Politico reports that French European Commissioner Thierry Breton recently revealed that in 2020 Trump claimed that the US would “never” provide aid to Europe in the event of an attack.
Also read: Biden and Trump exchange barbs as 2024 elections approach
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