Meeting in Brussels on the fringes of the European Council, the leaders of the Party of European Socialists (PES) reacted strongly on Thursday 18 December to the “unprecedented attack” by the Trump administration, which, in its new security strategy, portrays Europe as a declining political and economic force (see EUROPE 13768/14).
“We will never accept attempts to weaken Europe from a head of state or a president”, stresses the Social Democrat family. They added: “The notion that Europe is undemocratic and requires salvation from civilisation-related erasure from external actors is not only a baseless fabrication but also illustrates the systemic support that the Trump Administration is giving to far right and nationalist forces in Europe”.
For the PES, this episode in the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the EU and the United States should act as a “wake-up call” for Europe to “rebalance” its relations with its traditional partner, with Europe’s Social Democrats expressing their desire to maintain close ties with the Democrats.
The Socialist leaders promise to continue to defend the founding values and principles of the EU and to “stand for a sovereign Europe that protects its citizens”. In this respect, they believe that the European regulatory framework constitutes a “decisive” bulwark against attacks from across the Atlantic, insofar as it sets out high standards in social, environmental and health fields.
“Europe will not remodel its policies, nor lower its standards to fit the demands of the US new foreign policy strategy. The rules governing our single market are legally binding for everyone and must be applied to all partners, without exception”, says the PES. It will support any action at Member State and EU level aimed at countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) through the effective application of European digital and democratic rules.
At an international level, Social Democrat leaders are determined to strengthen the EU’s role as a “global player” through international partnerships that can reduce dependency, protect farmers and industries from unfair competition and safeguard food security. They emphasised the point that “trade is a vital tool to achieve this”.
Read the PES statement: https://aeur.eu/f/k3g (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)