Eurocrats Sourly Brace Themselves For a ‘More Businesslike’ Tie With Trump’s America

At a recent Brussels meeting of EU foreign ministers in the wake of Trump’s shock election, voices were raised in favor of spending more on defense and upholding accords on climate change and Iran’s nuclear program. During the election campaign, Trump suggested he would make U.S. security guarantees for its European allies conditional and has criticized both the international Paris agreement to fight climate change and the deal curbing Iran’s nuclear program.

“We understand that there will be a more American businesslike approach and therefore there should also be more Europe from our side,” said Miroslav Lajcak, the foreign minister of Slovakia, which now holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
The EU’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, said the bloc’s foreign and defense ministers have decided to boost their common defense and security capabilities.

Fostering closer defense cooperation has long proved difficult in the EU but Germany and France now hope Trump’s victory gives the plan renewed momentum.

“I think the debate at the moment is to see how Europe can strengthen its voice in the world. We have already spoken about matters of security and defense,” said Belgium’s Didier Reynders. 

However, in a sign of the disunity that has been rocking the European Union, the British, French and Hungarian foreign ministers refused to attend the ad-hoc meeting. 

The leaders of far-right parties throughout Europe have also been exulting that Trump’s victory is a portent of things to come on the continent and will give their own campaigns the boost they need to take over their governments.