Bayrou warns of potential EU vulnerability amid Trump’s oolicies
Date
1/21/2025 1:57:02 AM
(MENAFN) French Prime Minister François Bayrou issued a stark warning on Monday, cautioning that both France and the European Union could be "crushed" if they fail to adequately respond to the policies set to be implemented by incoming US President Donald Trump, who was set to be sworn in later that day.
In his New Year's address to municipal staff in Pau, where he continues to serve as mayor, Bayrou outlined the US’s increasingly dominant approach to global affairs. "The United States has decided on an incredibly dominating policy through the dollar, through industrial policy, through the capture of all research and the capture of investments," he said.
He warned that if France and Europe do not act, they risk being "dominated, crushed, marginalized." Bayrou emphasized that recovery is within their control, asserting that “it is impossible without Europe” to avoid such outcomes.
Bayrou identified two primary challenges facing France and Europe on the international stage: US policy and the growing economic influence of China. He pointed to China’s trade surplus exceeding USD1 trillion in December as a sign of the need for a coordinated European response to these emerging global threats.
“The inauguration of Donald Trump places us before our responsibility,” Bayrou stated, urging collective action. “France and Europe cannot remain passive in the face of these challenges,” he concluded, calling for a unified effort to counter the policies of both the United States and China.
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