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Saturday 4 February 2017

EU leaders say Trump worries them as rhetoric becomes policy

RAF CASERT for the EU, following several tial candidate has done.
FRANCES D’EMILIO negative comments about “To appoint an ambassa-
Associated Press the 28-nation bloc. dor, better for him to be-
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Eu- “Maybe the best evidence lieve in the institution with
ropean Union leaders on that we are together in this which
Friday vowed to remain context was the fact that he would have to work. It
united and defiant in the some of my colleagues is as simple as that,” Hol-
face of an onslaught of have used a new nickname lande said.
criticism from the new for me, spontaneously, Lithuanian President Dalia
American president that which is ‘our Donald,’” Tusk Grybauskaite pointed out
has started to undermine said Friday at an EU summit that it was almost impos-
the once-unshakeable in Malta, highlighting the sible to build a bridge with
trans-Atlantic relationship. new divisions in the centu- Trump because “today
And they hit back in an in- ry-old alliance with the U.S. we’re communicating with
creasing battle of words, French President Francois the United States mainly on
underscoring how they Hollande said “it can- Twitter.”
fear that Donald Trump’s not be acceptable” that Austrian Chancellor Chris-
campaign rhetoric will be Trump could put pressure tian Kern said that “Trump
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, speaks with British turned into policy and fur- on the EU through his dec- must be judged by his ac-
Prime Minister Theresa May, right, as they walk with other EU
leaders during an event at an EU summit in Valletta, Malta, on ther tear apart their trou- larations on Twitter. tions and not by his rheto-
Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. European Union heads of state and govern- bled bloc. And he warned that Trump ric and his election cam-
ment gathered Friday for a one day summit to discuss migration EU chief Donald Tusk earlier should not send any envoy paign.
and the future of the EU. this week moved the U.S. to the EU that has criticized But now he has delivered
(AP Photo/Rene Rossignaud) into a “threat” category the bloc, which one poten- enough actions that are
worrying.” He said the
United States was partly re-
sponsible for the strong ref-
ugee flows toward Europe
because of its Mideast poli-
cies.
“What has happened in
the last few days are really
not the values I’m fighting
for,” Kern’s Luxembourg
counterpart, Xavier Bettel,
said, referring to Trump’s
ban on refugees.
Trump has questioned the
NATO alliance linking North
America and Europe, call-
ing it “obsolete.”
In addition, hopes for a ma-
jor EU-U.S. trade deal have
already taken a deep dive
amid worries of new U.S.
protectionism under the
Trump slogan “America
first.”
And adding insult to injury,
Trump called the British de-
cision to leave the EU — the
most cathartic event in the
bloc’s 60-year history —”a
tremendous asset and not
a tremendous liability.”
For France and Germany,
there is only one solution to
facing an unpredictable
partner.q