On Wednesday 23 April, the European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Valdis Dombrovskis, praised Europe’s model of stability in the face of crises, at a high-level forum organised by the Atlanticist think tank, the ‘Atlantic Council’. He was in Washington for the spring meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). His speech comes at a time when the European Union is increasingly under attack and under pressure from US President Donald Trump’s trade policy.
“In times of turmoil, predictability, the rule of law and a willingness to uphold the rules-based international order become Europe’s greatest assets”, he said, quoting one of the founding fathers of the European Union, Jean Monnet.
“We are committed to doing whatever it takes to defend our ‘boring democracies’, because ‘boring’ brings certainty and a safe haven when that rules-based order is questioned elsewhere. Our processes allow for debates and consultations to take place, building buy-in from our key stakeholders and enabling us to all pull in the same direction”, said Mr Dombrovskis.
In Washington, he reaffirmed the importance of the transatlantic trade partnership, valued at $9,500 billion.
“But we will also seal new partnerships across the world to strengthen our economic security at home”, he warned, pointing out that the EU had recently strengthened its trade links with Mercosur, Mexico and Switzerland, and that new negotiations were under way with several Asian countries.
“The EU is, and will remain, an attractive, reliable and predictable trading partner”, stressed the European Commissioner. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)