European leaders expressed concern and dismay on the night of 6-7 January at the intrusion of pro-Trump activists into Capitol Hill as Congress met to certify the results of the presidential election, noting the victory of Joe Biden.
A few hours earlier, US President Donald Trump had called on his supporters to march on Capitol Hill.
When calm returned, Congress certified the election results, but four people died and several were injured in or near the building.
“The US Congress is a temple of democracy. To witness tonight’s scenes in Washington DC is a shock”, stressed the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. He explained that he trusts the United States to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden.
For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the situation “as revolting as it is tragic. Joe Biden now has a huge task ahead of him: he has to bring the country together, bring peace, and bridge major gaps”, she explained.
According to her, “what happened in Washington did not come out of nowhere. Over the years, we have witnessed this growing polarisation, the flow of false information and, above all, the disdainful treatment of democratic institutions, values and discourse”. “Every President is, until the last day of his term of office, responsible for his words. Yesterday we could see how we went from words to deeds”, she denounced.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has denounced American democracy that “appears under siege. This is an unseen assault on US democracy, its institutions and the rule of law. This is not America”, he stressed. Mr Borrell called for the outcome of the 3 November presidential election to be fully respected, adding that “[the] strength of US democracy will prevail over extremist individuals”.
“Democratic votes must be respected. We are sure that the United States will ensure that the rules of democracy are protected”, added the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, while the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister (EPP, Germany), the Chairman of the Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the United States, Radosław Sikorski (EPP, Poland), and the rapporteur for the United States, Tonino Picula (S&D, Croatia), denounced “the attack on one of the oldest democracies in the world”. They described the events as “deplorable”.
The US Ambassador to the EU, Ronald J. Gidwick, also condemned the events. “The incitement to action and the assault by the mob were an attack on the heart of democracy and an affront to the democratic values and ideals on which the United States was built”, he said.
Congressional certification was the last step before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Europeans have high hopes for a strengthening of relations with the United States, which Donald Trump has undermined. “What we have seen is totally unacceptable. We hope that this new Biden Presidency will be a great opportunity to create a new climate, especially in transatlantic relations”, emphasised the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, whose country holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU.
“Mr Trump, it’s already in the past! Americans have turned the page and Biden is expected to take up his post on 20 January”, he added, hoping that an EU-US summit will be held under the Portuguese Presidency.
For Ms von der Leyen, “after 4 years of famine, we are looking forward to 4 years of plenty of dialogue, joint work and cooperation”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Agathe Cherki)