The President of the Republic warned this Thursday at a conference on the future of the European Union (EU) in Florence, Italy, about the importance of the elections in the United States, noting that “it is not the same thing for one candidate to win.”
Speaking at the State of the Union conference organized by the European University Institute of Florence, in a “high-level conversation” with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on the theme “A New Era: Shaping the Future” through European Values,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that the EU faces with “several challenges” but warned that the answer to some of them depended on external factors such as the North American presidential election in November.
Pointing out among the serious challenges facing the community bloc, “preserving EU unity, supporting Ukraine’s victory over Russia, economic recovery, preparing expansion and a new budgetary framework,” pursuing, along with support for Ukraine, “foreign policy, security and strong defense,” in addition to issues such as “migration and relations with other regions”, Marcelo said that “to face these challenges there are two factors” and one of them is “independent” of Europe.
“The first factor is called the American elections. Everything will depend on the US elections. It is not the same whether one candidate wins or the other. We know both of them, which means [a sua eleição] in style, in policy, in relations with Europe, in relations with Russia, in economic and strategic relations with Europe, in the vision of our political systems,” he said then, adding that what President Joe Biden and his rival are doing, former President Donald Trump, “think about the key issues in the world.”
“So the first factor that will be decisive is this. For example, the victory of the previous president [Donald Trump] will be objectively good news for Russia and bad news for security in Europe, for economic relations with Europe, and for an overall open-minded rather than one-sided and protectionist vision of climate change, migration and many other economic and social issues. And that matters,” he said during the debate, always in English.
Regarding the factor that depends on the EU itself, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that it is important to maintain the same resilience that bloc 27 managed to show during the pandemic, the ensuing crisis and the war in Ukraine.
The head of state noted that all the crises that have occurred “require the stability of political systems” in Europe, but some show signs of fragility, and considered that “the elections will be the first barometer of how weak the classical political systems and traditions of Europe are.”
Asked by a moderator whether there was a danger that Trump’s possible re-election could spell the end of European unity, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa acknowledged that the risk of a sudden change in transatlantic relations “is an issue today.”
“We have been united on everything that matters, such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and various crises. But any radical change in America will create a tendency for different reactions, and not just regarding the war in Ukraine,” he said. adding that when it comes to the crisis in the Middle East, these divisions already exist, “and that’s a problem.”
While the debate took place in one of the rooms of the European University Institute in Florence, dozens of students protested in defense of Palestine, as is happening in many Italian university institutions, even prompting the Institute to publish a short statement. .
“Today, members of the European University Institute (EUI) community are raising their concerns about the State of the Union 2024, and the IUE is listening. On the vibrant IUE campus, there is always room for disagreement and disagreement as long as it is expressed peacefully,” the statement said.
The 14th State of the Union conference, which runs until Friday in Florence, will take place this year just over two weeks before the European elections, which will take place in the 27 member states from June 6 to 9.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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