The return of Donald Trump to the post of US president dominates the informal meeting of the leaders of the European Union in Budapest, and their general message is that Europe must take control of its own destiny, the Belgian news agency Belga reports tonight.
Tonight, EU leaders are debating the competitiveness of the economy of the European bloc of 28 countries.
The outgoing president of the European Council, Charles Michel, for whom this is the last European summit, is convinced that the leaders of the Union can go before the public with a declaration that can serve as a framework for strengthening that competitiveness.
The re-election of Republican Donald Trump, after four years of the administration of President Joseph Biden from the US Democratic Party, has intensified the "sense of urgency" among Europeans, said the former President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, presenting a new report.
According to him, what the EU must urgently focus on is the "fragmentation of the common market and the union of European capital markets".
The outgoing Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croix, assessed that Trump's re-election could serve as a catharsis for the European Union.
"It could make us stronger," de Croix said, adding: "Europe sometimes needs moments like this, when it faces the facts. It can provide a new impetus."
De Kro called for a dialogue with Trump in order to make it clear to him that the customs war could also affect the USA, and that China is a competitor to both.
"We are partners. It would be crazy if we started imposing tariffs on each other," said De Kro.
French President Emmanuel Macron already addressed the public yesterday with an invitation to Europe to perform its role on the world stage with more confidence than before.
"The question we face is: do we want to read the history written by others, or do we want to write history ourselves? We must take action, defend our national and European interests, believe in our strategic autonomy, in our sovereignty, because we do not want to be extras," Macron said.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, asked EU leaders to provide additional support to that country in its war with Russia, and not to make any concessions, as this would be unacceptable for the whole of Europe.
Bonus video:
