European Leaders Gather to Grapple With Donald Trump’s Victory

The EU had an emergency meeting of foreign ministers today, 11/13. This meeting  was the latest sign of the global disquiet after the election where Donald Trump has become our president. It can be speculated that this could be a result of Trump questioning some of the central tenets of American foreign policy.Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, hastily scheduled the dinner meeting after Mr. Trump’s victory, which threatened the unity in a continent already reeling from crises over Greece’s debt, migration and Britain’s decision to exit the bloc.There were concerns in some European capitals that scheduling the gathering before Mr. Trump appointed a secretary of state or announced his policy agenda may cast too much doubt on his ability to devise a working relationship with Europe. Leaders from Britain, France, and Hungary decided to skip out on this gathering. What the EU is worried about, or having a problem with, is the fact that Trump said he will only defend countries that fulfill their obligation to us. There is also the threat of a new tie between Trump and Putin through the Trump presidency where the EU doesn't know how it will affect their relationship with the United States. An analyst added that while some may think that this will bring the EU closer together, there is a more than likely chance that this could spread the EU apart more. It will be interesting to see how it will all play out as there has been previous cooperation between the US and the EU for quite some time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/world/europe/europe-european-union-trump-foreign-policy.html?ref=world&_r=0

Lauren Whelan