Germany and France call on Europe to come together in the wake of Trump’s electoral victory

The leaders of the bloc’s two major powers, France and Germany, held discussions to coordinate their response and stated Wednesday that the European Union must remain unified and closely coordinate in light of Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House.

Both German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Trump on his election victory Tuesday, but they were quick to highlight the difficulties presented by his isolationist rhetoric and “America First” protectionist trade agenda.

Scholz told reporters, “The European Union must stand close together and act in a united manner,” and he and Macron were working closely with other political leaders in the EU.
Berlin and Paris will strive for a stronger, united Europe in “the new context,” Macron stated on X.

However, Paris and Berlin have been increasingly at odds over the past few years over a variety of topics, including trade, tariffs on China’s electric cars, and how to pay higher defense spending. This makes it difficult to achieve European unity.

With Macron losing a lot of his authority following electoral losses earlier this year and Scholz finding it difficult to maintain his coalition, the leaders of France and Germany are also in precarious political positions at home.

“Contrary to claims, Europe is not prepared for the economic impact of higher tariffs, the likely U-turn on Ukraine, and defense spending ultimatums – we expect the EU to divide on similar lines to the US itself,” experts from Euro intelligence reported.

Trade Wars?

Given his difficult transatlantic relations during his first term, his harsh criticism of NATO, his conflicted views on Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion, and his position on climate change, many European leaders had expressed concern about a Trump victory prior to Tuesday’s election.

Trade is one area of particular concern for Europe. Last month, Trump stated that if he won the election, the European Union would “pay a big price” for not purchasing enough American commodities.

In addition to congratulating the Republican former president on his win, European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen stated that preventing trade conflicts would benefit both the United States and Europe.

“Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic depend on the dynamism and stability of our economic relationship,” she added.

Trump, who will into office in January, has stated that he would put 60% charges on imports from China and 10% duties on imports from all other nations. Economists fear that China will try to shift its exports to Europe and that this would affect supply chains globally, probably increasing costs.

The Ukraine

Europe is also concerned about the changing U.S. foreign policy, specifically with regard to the conflict in Ukraine. Trump has expressed disapproval of the extent of U.S. assistance to Ukraine’s war effort and made a pledge to terminate the conflict before he even took office, but he has not provided an explanation.

In contrast to other EU leaders, Hungary’s populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban publicly supported Trump’s candidacy for president and wrote heartfelt letters on X congratulating him on his win. He suggested that Europe will now have to reconsider its backing of Ukraine. Because of his strong ties to Russia and his resistance to aid for Ukraine, Orban has frequently infuriated Brussels.

Many Europeans congratulated Trump and wished for good cooperation, including NATO chief Mark Rutte. Several ministers stated that Europe would need to assume more responsibility for its security if Trump were to return to the White House.

In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters, “We need to think big and invest big in our European security now.”

Following a hastily scheduled meeting of France’s and Germany’s defense ministers in Paris later Wednesday, dozens of European leaders were scheduled to meet in Budapest on Thursday for a European Political Community conference and then meet with EU leaders in Budapest.

One European ambassador stated that while the EU summit will enable an initial discussion, it is unlikely to offer a comprehensive response to Trump’s victory.