Europe braces ahead of new Trump administration
The extent to which the arrival of President Trump appears to be rattling European leaders was shown today by former Portuguese prime minister António Costa who said he wants to “free citizens of the European Union from the “algorithms controlled by technological oligarchs”.
Responding to the leader of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), Iratxe García, at the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, António Costa said it was necessary to use EU legislation to “protect citizens, freedom of expression and information (…) This is also a fight for freedom,” said the newly appointed President of the European Council, who led Portugal’s Socialist party through eight years of government.
Mr Costa added that “democracy is under attack today” and that populisms are fuelled “by inequalities (…) The effect on people’s quality of life and income is essential for tackling the root causes of populism,” he added.
Meantime, in Davos, at the latest World Economic Forum, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has been demonstrating that the EU is in no mood to beg for favourable treatment in the face of President Trump’s America First Agenda.
In the words of Politico, Ursula von der Leyen has instead “mapped out an upbeat vision of the EU as an economic heavyweight” that is beating the U.S. in many key respects and open for business with countries such as Mexico and China.
“As for Europe’s many problems – which range from war on its doorstep to industrial decline and a far-right surge – von der Leyen chose not to dwell on them”, Politico observed.
“Instead, the German politician tried to inspire confidence in the bloc’s ability to change, laying out plans for reforms to be presented in February that aim to unify the bloc’s fragmented capital markets, slash red tape and foster world-beating companies.
“How she intends to enact those reforms at a time of increasing divisions among the bloc’s leaders is anyone’s guess”.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
