via DW
The more likely it seems that Donald Trump will be the Republican Party's nominee for the US presidency, the louder the voices become that warn Europe to prepare itself for a second Trump term in the White House.
In an interview with French public broadcaster France 2, Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, described the possible election of Donald Trump as a "clear threat" to Europe.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told the European Parliament in mid-January that "if 2024 brings us 'America First' again, it is really more than ever 'Europe on its own.'"
In a paper published by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think tank, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt predicted far-reaching global consequences if Trump were reelected.
This I don't understand. The EU wants China to treat it as a superpower. I would assume they want the US to do the same. The only thing I can think is that the free ride will be over and that they'll have to concentrate on their own defense.
If we take it to its ultimate extreme then they would also have to develop and put into service their own nuclear weapons. Another drain from societal programs that are necessary if they are to "go it alone".
Sudha David-Wilp, the director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund, a think tank funded by the US government, the German government and the EU Commission, told DW that her main concern was over Europe's military capabilities.
"It's very important that Europe becomes a strong actor, militarily, in a conventional sense, that it's able to take care of security issues in its immediate neighborhood," David-Wilp said.
In addition, she said, Europe must also "be a strong partner for Asia, for Europe, when it comes to warding off external threats from authoritarian forces, and also get strong economically to prepare for potential protectionist measures from a second President Trump term."
Jürgen Hardt, a conservative lawmaker with Germany's federal parliament, the Bundestag, said he fears that Germany is ill-prepared for a second term with Trump.
I don't get this one at all. They talk about Russia coming to gobble up the EU. Wouldn't that automatically assume that they would plus up their defenses? At the height of the Cold War, it was assumed that Europe would have to hold on for about 30 days for the US Army to get its armored divisions over to Europe.
That wouldn't change but they would have to hold the line. From what the Ukraine/Russia war has shown us, only Poland and perhaps France are actually ready to do so.
Even with us they need to get their house in order.
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2024 will be the year of fear...brought to you by the elite...
