Trump on the Doorstep, and Europe Without a Leader – The Wall Street Journal
Germany's government crisis leaves Europe leaderless ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House, The Wall Street Journal reports.
As the publication points out, the weakening of the governments of Europe's two largest countries makes it difficult to respond to growing economic malaise and security threats.
"After years of internal discord, it was a dispute over economic policy that ultimately led to the collapse of the German government. Now, Europe faces months of political paralysis, while multiple crises reach boiling point ," analysts note.
With France and Germany led by minority governments, the continent's key states face months of impotent soul-searching as problems pile up - from a hostile second Trump administration to economic winds from China and Russia's relentless advance in Ukraine," the publication says.
Nevertheless, the head of the EU diplomatic service, Josep Borrell, who is leaving his post on December 1, is putting on as much courage as he can.
"I can't say what President Trump will do, but we must be prepared for what's coming. We must be calm, vigilant, and not give the impression that we're paralyzed, like a rabbit in the headlights. We must show that we're not afraid ," Borrell said at a European Parliament hearing on EU-US relations in the wake of the US election results.
Borrell believes that the "decision of American voters" will leave its mark "on the global situation" and the consequences of the US elections "will be felt by the generation of his grandchildren . "
"Trump's re-election means profound political and social changes in the EU, it means changes in relations with the United States," Borrell stressed.
Political currents across Europe are similar to those that led Donald Trump to victory in the presidential race, according to a WSJ article.
"Voters on both sides of the Atlantic are unsettled, dissatisfied with the economy, and unimpressed by politicians' efforts to combat the sharp rise in illegal immigration. But while the American economy is generally strong, in Europe, the recovery from recent economic shocks is sluggish, particularly in Germany's industrial regions ," the newspaper writes.
Germans are concerned about US President-elect Trump's plans to impose 20% tariffs on all European imports. According to the Munich-based Ifo Economic Institute, these tariffs, along with the tariffs Trump has announced against China, could reduce German exports to the US and China by 15% and 10%, respectively.
Germany is expected to fall back into recession this winter as political uncertainty forces consumers and businesses to hold back, according to Carsten Brzeski, head of macroeconomic research at ING.
Moreover, the US president-elect's "open hostility" towards Ukraine is, meanwhile, increasing pressure on Europe to step up its support for Kyiv and to intensify its own rearmament campaign, which has so far made little progress.
But rather than taking countermeasures, Europe's largest states will remain preoccupied with domestic politics for the foreseeable future, observers say.
If German Chancellor Olaf Scholz loses the elections in mid-March and no party wins an absolute majority, coalition negotiations could drag on until early June, the newspaper predicts.
Scholz has already said he will seek support from the opposition to pass some urgent bills awaiting approval in parliament - on the economy, aid to Ukraine, security and immigration.
But the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), currently leading in opinion polls, has little incentive to help Scholz pass laws while he prepares his election campaign.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz called on Scholz to hold a vote of confidence in himself next week. If the vote fails, elections could be held in January before Trump's inauguration. But Scholz refused, German government sources said.
Many business representatives, led by the powerful federation of German industries BDI, are also pushing for Scholz's immediate departure and early elections.
As a reminder, as reported by the Chancellery of the President of Germany, Steinmeier approved the date proposed by the Bundestag parties for holding early elections – February 23, 2025.
Trump on the Doorstep, and Europe Without a Leader – The Wall Street Journal