The first European leader to tweet their response to Donald Trump’s victory was Emmanuel Macron of France, pipping Giorgia Meloni to the prize by a matter of minutes. ‘Congratulations,’ declared the President of France. ‘Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.’
Macron tweeted his congratulations in French and English, whereas Meloni stuck to her mother tongue. ‘Good work Mr. President,’ said the Italian Prime Minister. ‘Italy and the United States are “sister” nations, linked by an unshakable alliance, common values, and a historic friendship. It is a strategic bond, which I am sure we will now strengthen even further.’
In those days, no one in Washington said nasty things about Germany’s refusal to pull its weight in Nato
Keir Starmer was also quick to tip his hat to Trump, but it took German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a good hour before he jumped on the jubilatory bandwagon. Like Macron, he mentioned ‘prosperity’ and how he looked forward to promoting the ‘wellbeing of our citizens’.
Scholz, of course, is not the most powerful German in European politics. That accolade belongs to Urusla von der Leyen, the president of the EU Commission. She didn’t waste time sending Trump her ‘warm’ congratulations and proclaimed that the ‘EU and the US are more than just allies. We are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. So let’s work together on a strong transatlantic agenda that keeps delivering’.
The Donald is known for his sense of humour so he’s likely to laugh long and hard at the schmoozing of Macron and, in particular, von der Leyen. The two are not friends.
Von der Leyen was Germany’s defence minister during Trump’s first term in office, a time when the president regularly criticised Germany for their defence and energy policies. At a Nato summit in July 2018, Trump singled out Germany for failing to meet its commitment to spend 2 per cent of its GDP on defence. He also declared that ‘Germany is totally controlled by Russia because they were getting from 60 to 70 per cent of their energy from Russia and a new pipeline. And you tell me if that’s appropriate because I think it’s not.’
When asked for her response to Trump’s claim that Germany was controlled by Russia, von der Leyen replied: ‘There’s no substance to that sentence…Germany is independent where energy supply is concerned because we diversify.’
As to Germany’s failure to fulfil its defence spending commitments, von der Leyen said: ‘We are aiming at this 2 per cent…but, of course, if you have a very strong growing GDP, you have an amount of money. If you invest it in defence, it has to be invested usefully. We don’t want to burn money or waste money.’ In 2018, Germany spent 1.25 per cent of its GDP on defence (Britain spent 2.10 per cent and the US 3.26 per cent). This figure had risen to 1.45 per cent by 2021 (Britain’s was 2.29 per cent and the USA 3.53 per cent).
Von der Leyen also expressed her confidence that a permanent rift with the US was not underway. She had recently been in Washington, speaking with senators and congressmen and women, and she said was ‘reassured’ by what she heard. ‘You’re saying you hear a very different message from other US political leaders…than you do from President Trump?’ von der Leyen was asked. ‘Absolutely.’
Von der Leyen, like the overwhelmingly majority of the EU political class, is at heart a Democrat. She made her first trip to the US in 2014, the year after she was appointed defence minister. That was the era of Barack Obama, every right-thinking European’s favourite American. In those days, no one in Washington said nasty things about Germany’s refusal to pull its weight in Nato.
Earlier in 2014, Obama had visited Brussels to discuss Russia’s recent annexation of Crimea. ‘We’re united in our commitment to Europe’s security,’ declared Obama in his address. ‘We’re united in our determination to isolate Russia’. Not that determined clearly. The following year, an agreement was signed to build Nord Stream 2, the natural pipe gas line between Russia and Germany. Construction began in 2016, the year Trump was elected president.
At an address at the United Nations in September 2018, Trump warned that ‘Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course’. German diplomats in the audience laughed at the preposterousness of the president’s remarks.
They’re not laughing today and nor, one imagines, is Ursula von der Leyen. Trump is back, home truths and all.
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