Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

EU presidency warns democracy will be put to the test in U.S. elections in November

Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo gestures during a press conference at the European Parliament, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. De Croo presented the programme for Belgium's six-month Council Presidency, which started on Jan. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo gestures during a press conference at the European Parliament, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 in Strasbourg, eastern France. De Croo presented the programme for Belgium's six-month Council Presidency, which started on Jan. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Share
BRUSSELS -

The European Union presidency on Tuesday warned that the foundations of democracy will be put to the test during the November U.S. election, envisaging a scenario where the longstanding trans-Atlantic alliance could unravel ever more.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of Belgium, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said that “if 2024 brings us ‘America first’ again, it is really more than ever ‘Europe on its own.’â€

De Croo spoke in an address to the EU legislature only hours after former President Donald Trump's landslide win in the Republican Party's Iowa caucuses.

His words harked back to the 2017-2021 Trump administration, when U.S. relations with Europe took a nosedive because of near-incessant trans-Atlantic quarrels about trade, security and military cooperation that eroded trust and cooperation.

De Croo said the 27-nation EU should quickly learn to stand more on its own and that in case of a Trump victory in November, “we should, as Europeans, not fear this perspective. We should embrace it.â€

Referring to the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, he said this was “a year where our democracies and liberties will be put to the test."

"Not only with election for this house, but equally for the U.S. Congress and the American presidency,†De Croo added.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A driver suffered only minor injuries after going airborne in a residential neighbourhood in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Friday, the car eventually landing on its roof in someone’s backyard.

The owners of a North York condominium say they are facing a $70,000 special assessment to fix their building's parking garage. '$70,000 is a lot of money. It makes me very nervous and stressed out of nowhere for this huge debt to come in,' said Ligeng Guo.

Police released the identities of the mother and daughter who were killed after a fire tore through a 160-year-old building in Old Montreal on Friday.

The sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in the deadly hit-and-run in Kitsilano two years ago began on Friday.

Local Spotlight

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.