Belgium’s new Prime Minister Alexander de Croo gives a speech in Brussels, Belgium, October 1, 2020. Photo: Yves Herman/REUTERS
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union Presidency warned Tuesday that the foundations of democracy will be tested in the U.S. elections in November, envisioning a scenario that could further erode the long-standing transatlantic alliance. .
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, who currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, said, “If America comes first again in 2024, it will be even more “Europe alone” than ever before.” Stated.
Decroo spoke in the EU parliament just hours after former President Donald Trump won a landslide victory in the Republican Iowa caucuses.
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His words are reminiscent of the Trump administration from 2017 to 2021, when relations between the United States and Europe plummeted as trust and cooperation eroded due to near-constant transatlantic disputes over trade, security, and military cooperation.
De Croo said the 27-nation EU must urgently learn to become more self-reliant, in case Trump wins in November: “As Europeans, we shouldn’t be afraid of this view. We should accept it. We should,” he said.
Referring to the European Parliament elections scheduled for June, he said this year would be a “test of democracy and freedom.”
“Not just this House election, but the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Presidential election as well,” Decroux added.
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Belgium’s new Prime Minister Alexander de Croo gives a speech in Brussels, Belgium, October 1, 2020. Photo: Yves Herman/REUTERS