Disaster-hit Scholz and Macron to fulfill in Paris – Europe reside

These new EU issues come on the again of Trump’s feedback in a single day that he would hit the European Union with tariffs citing the necessity to handle commerce imbalances and explaining the transfer in his distinctive fashion:

They deal with us very, very badly. In order that they’re going to be in for tariffs. It’s the one approach you’re going to get again. It’s the one approach you’re going to get equity.

A day earlier, he accused the bloc of not importing sufficient American merchandise, saying he would “straighten that out” by imposing duties or by urging for extra oil and gasoline purchases.

Jeroen Lenaers spoils the enjoyable, instantly name-checking “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” Donald Trump in his response to von der Leyen’s assertion.

The Dutch vice-chair of the centre-right European Folks’s Get together, the biggest group within the parliament representing conservative-leaning events, mentioned that the brand new geopolitical state of affairs below Trump ought to function “another wake up call that now, more than ever, we need to ensure our own strategic independence.”

With the inauguration of President Trump, we now have additionally entered a brand new part of geopolitics. Sure, the US stays an vital companion and ally, however it’s clear that below the brand new administration, Europe can also be a goal.

European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen has been talking within the European Parliament in the previous couple of minutes, with some new feedback warning about “the change coming in global politics.”

We’re solely three weeks into 2025, and however a glimpse is already there of a change that’s coming to world politics. We have now entered a brand new period of harsh geostrategic competitors. …

The principles of engagement are altering. Some in Europe could not like this new actuality, however we should cope with it. Our values don’t change, however to defend them, some issues should change. And first, we now have to work to do at dwelling.

I’m wondering who may she probably be fascinated about?

• Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz maintain a press convention in Paris (round lunchtime)

• European Fee president Ursula von der Leyen is talking on the European Parliament in Strasbourg now, and will probably be adopted by Polish prime minister Donald Tusk (9:30 CET)

• Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez speaks on the World Financial Discussion board in Davos (15:45 CET)

• Micheál Martin is predicted to grow to be Eire’s new prime minister

Far more to come back, I’m certain.

Morning opening: Scholz travels to Paris for Macron assembly

Jakub Krupa

Guten tag, bonjour, and good morning. It’s Wednesday, 22 January 2025.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz is travelling to Paris this morning to fulfill French president Emmanuel Macron in what would as soon as be seen as absolutely the energy assembly on the prime of European politics.

This time, it’s totally different – to the purpose that the German weekly Der Spiegel known as it a gathering of two lame geese.

As Scholz struggles to get his message throughout and trails within the polls forward of subsequent month’s parliamentary elections and Macron struggles to cope with a near-permanent political disaster domestically, the celebrations of the 62nd anniversary of the Élysée Treaty are more likely to be considerably muted.

Nonetheless there may be a lot to speak about: how you can finest cope with the small matter of Donald Trump, the conflict in Ukraine, and all types of questions on Europe’s place and competitiveness in a dynamically altering world.

What makes issues worse, although, is that the 2 don’t appear to notably get alongside personally. And they don’t seem to be alone on this.

A consultant ballot of 1203 French adults, printed final week, exhibits that for the primary time, a slim majority of the French—51%—really don’t like Germany that a lot, even when they assume Franco-German relations are typically good.

Two-thirds say they have no idea Germany notably nicely. When requested about their main associations with the nation, they level to the significance of labor, the nation’s financial energy, and, erm, budgetary self-discipline, all talked about by over 80% of respondents. Not notably inspiring.

In a very stinging (and, frankly, fairly hilarious given the German Embassy in France commissioned the ballot) response, the French mentioned that it’s all good and nicely that Germans have an ideal training system, a powerful economic system, and galvanizing tradition, noting the significance of the Franco-German Arte TV channel, however it’s… the German language that they see as a selected legal responsibility (67%).

Politically, you possibly can see how a lot has modified over the previous couple of years: in 2020, 53% cited France and Germany because the joint main drive for European integration. 4 years later, it was a mere 18%. Ouch.

However some took the ends in good stride. In its morning e-newsletter, the German enterprise each day Handelsblatt noticed that 40% of the French additionally related Germans with vanity.

“Coming from them, it’s surely a compliment?” it quipped.

Welcome to our reside protection of European politics. It’s Jakub Krupa right here.

You probably have any feedback or options, e mail me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. I’m additionally on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.