Summary
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron held a call to discuss the potential implications of Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency for Europe.
The leaders pledged to strengthen cooperation for a “more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe” in light of this possibility. Macron emphasized a commitment to European sovereignty while maintaining cooperation with the U.S. Additionally, German and French defense ministers plan to meet to coordinate on defense policies.
Trump’s ambiguous stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and his critical view of NATO burden-sharing raise concerns in Europe about future U.S.-Europe relations.
Yes, which is why I do think the foundational trade framework will remain and possibly strengthen. That’s what originally created the EU and ended many of the conflicts.
What I don’t see happening much going forward is countries giving up sovereignty on things like immigration and judicial issues or social and cultural issues. I also think stuff like a banking union and further economic integration are hanging by a thin, thin thread. There are simply too much disagreement and too many differences in how the economies work. It’s not like states within the US at all.