French President Francois Hollande has said the Trump administration is a “challenge” for Europe, which also faces the internal threat of rising extremism and populism.
Hollande was speaking at a press conference in Berlin after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“To be honest, there are challenges from the new US administration; challenges regarding rules of commerce, regarding the way we think conflicts across the world should be solved,” Hollande said.
“Of course, we need to speak to Donald Trump, because he was elected by the US [citizens] to be their president, but we should speak to him from the European point of view, promoting our interests and values.”
Hollande also warned that Europe is under internal threat of populism.
“Let's speak honestly, what threatens Europe doesn't come from outside,” he said. “It's the rise of extremism, which uses outside [forces] to create internal division. And facing the internal threat of populism, one should address the people, and tell them that their interests, values, their future are connected with what we decide here, in Europe and for Europe.”
Merkel echoed his concerns, saying that “Europe faces big internal and external challenges which we ... can only master by working together.”
“We need a clear, common commitment to the European Union, to what we have accomplished, and to the values of our liberal democracies,” she added.