European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a strong message to US President Donald Trump following his latest criticism of European countries and institutions. Speaking in the context of the new American National Security Strategy, which caused serious concern in Brussels, von der Leyen stressed that the fate of European democracies must remain exclusively in the hands of European citizens, writes Politico.
“Nobody from the outside can decide who leads European countries”
Reacting to Trump’s statements, as well as to the controversial security document from Washington, von der Leyen said that democratic processes in Europe must not be questioned or become subject to external influence.
“The decision on the leadership of a country belongs exclusively to its citizens. It is not the task of other states or individuals. The sovereignty of the voters must be fully protected,” emphasized the President of the Commission. She added that “no one else should interfere in that process”, clearly alluding to a new American document that has been at the center of European political discussions in recent days.
Controversial document sparks wave of reactions in Europe
The new strategic document of the US administration has particularly alarmed European institutions and many national governments. It claims that Europe is allegedly facing a “civilizational collapse” in the next two decades, while describing initiatives against the spread of far-right movements in the EU as “political censorship”.
Such rhetoric has been approved by certain political options of the extreme right, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, but also by official Moscow, which has further increased tensions between Brussels and Washington.
The document, among other things, calls for “encouraging resistance to the current European trajectory within European nations”, which was interpreted by EU leaders as direct interference in the internal political processes of member states.
The EU responds with the ‘Shield for Democracy’ package
Von der Leyen reminded that precisely because of the growing threats of foreign manipulation and disinformation, the European Commission presented a new set of measures called the Shield for Democracy. The package includes stricter surveillance mechanisms, monitoring of digital platforms and strengthening resistance to hybrid threats during election cycles.
“We must be aware of the risks. That is why we are strengthening our capacities to protect democratic processes, especially in the run-up to election years,” she pointed out.
Although she emphasized that during her political career she had a “good working relationship” with American presidents, von der Leyen said that Europe must build its own strength and self-confidence.
“I have always been a true transatlantic, but now it is important to look at ourselves, our resources and our strength. Europe must be proud of what it is and what it can become,” she said, appealing for the unity of the member states.
“Yes, our relationship with the United States has changed. But so have we. It’s time to take a clear position and work on our own resilience,” she concluded, to applause from the crowd.
Trump: “Europe is a group of failing nations”
Tensions between Brussels and Washington are rising after Trump harshly criticized European leaders in an interview with Politico, calling them “weak” and “incapable of deciding the future of the continent.”
“Europe does not know what to do,” said the US president, repeating an earlier claim that the continent is in decline.
Ironically, the same media outlet that published his criticism just a few days earlier named Donald Trump the most influential person in Europe, putting him at the top of the list of people who will shape the continent’s political processes over the next year.
