European Commission President von der Leyen criticized Trump's remarks about the impending decline of European civilization and "weak" leaders in Europe. She called on the U.S. to jointly defend a united Europe, writes DW.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about the "decline of Europe" governed by "weak" leaders. Trump should not interfere in European democracy, she stated on Thursday, December 11, at the Politico 28 event in Brussels, commenting on the White House chief's interview with Politico.
"When it comes to elections, it is not for us to decide who will be the leader of a country, but for the people of that country… This is the sovereign right of voters, and it must be protected," she emphasized. According to von der Leyen, she has always had "very good working relations" with U.S. presidents, including now. At the same time, she stressed that Europe should focus on itself rather than compare itself to others.
The Head of the European Commission Called to Protect a United Europe "With all my heart, I am a convinced supporter of transatlantic cooperation. But what is so important? What is important is that… we are proud to be the European Union, that we see our strengths, and that we are dealing with the challenges we have," Politico quotes the words of the Head of the European Commission, who called on the U.S. to "stand up for a united Europe."
Commenting on the U.S. National Security Strategy published a few days ago, which claims that there will be "civilizational destruction" of Europe in the next 20 years, von der Leyen pointed out that "no one else should interfere." She emphasized that Europe is taking measures to combat foreign interference, including in elections.
Washington Criticizes European Policies
In an interview with Politico, released on December 10 in a special edition of the podcast The Conversation, the U.S. president called Europe a "decaying" group of countries. "I think they are weak," Trump said, referring to the presidents and prime ministers of the continent. He also claimed that European leaders "don’t know what to do."
The American National Security Strategy criticizes Europe’s efforts to limit the influence of far-right parties, describing these actions in the document as political censorship. The Trump administration expresses concern about "serious problems" in EU countries, where authorities are allegedly suppressing freedom of speech and political opposition.
It is also noted that European officials have "unrealistic expectations" regarding the outcome of the war in Ukraine. "Most Europeans want peace, but this desire is not reflected in policy, largely because governments undermine the democratic process," the document states.
