[Bill_Nye]

https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanue ... ald-trump/

Europe can’t be the world’s “herbivore” anymore following Donald Trump’s reelection as the United States president, according to Emmanuel Macron. It needs to become an “omnivore” instead.

The French president’s comments come a day after Trump swept to a resounding victory in the U.S. presidential election, prompting concerns that the U.S. president-elect could downgrade Washington’s participation in NATO, forcing European countries to ramp up defense spending.

Macron is known as Europe’s loudest advocate for the bloc becoming more independent from trading rivals such as China and the United States on everything from defense and security to cutting-edge technologies.

“For me, it’s simple. The world is made up of herbivores and carnivores. If we decide to remain herbivores, then the carnivores will win and we will be a market for them,” he told European leaders during a gathering in Budapest.

Macron’s own leadership on the European Union stage has taken a hit following snap elections he called for earlier this year, and in recent days he has tried to reposition himself as the bloc’s bridge to the U.S. He was one of the first leaders to congratulate Trump on Wednesday.

“I think, at the very least, we should choose to become omnivores. I don’t want to be aggressive, just that we know how to defend ourselves on all these subjects.”

One EU diplomat in Budapest said Trump’s election could give the French leader a new “raison d’être” as chief cheerleader for a bolder, more independent European Union, namely when it comes to trade and security. The diplomat, like others quoted in the story, was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

While the French leader didn’t name countries, Europe faces potential trade wars on two fronts, with the U.S. and with China. The European Commission has hit Chinese electric vehicles with tariffs and faces potential trouble with Washington if Trump follows through on threats to impose tariffs on EU goods.

“We [in Europe] think that we should delegate our geopolitics to the United States of America, that we should delegate our growth debt to our Chinese clients, that we should delegate our technological innovation to the American hyper-scalers,” he said. “That’s not the best idea.”

Arriving at the meeting on Thursday, EU leaders and top officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, insisted on the need for Europe to take charge of security and defense, as well as supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Speaking to a small group of reporters in Budapest, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the outcome of the U.S. election has changed the status quo” on Ukraine.

“Europe has to reflect. If you ask me the theoretical question whether Europe could replace the U.S. in that matter I would say obviously not,” he said. “The outcome of the U.S. presidential elections creates a totally new reality, not only in Europe but in the world.”

Other EU leaders are keen to send a message of continued support for Kyiv during the meeting, hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also present, two EU diplomats said.

But not everyone was taken in by Macron’s calls for unity.

“He says unity but it means French unity,” said one of the two diplomats mentioned above, who was unimpressed with Macron’s speech.

“If it means pulling up the drawbridges, and battening down the hatchets, no thank you. We want to stay open to the transatlantic relationship,” he said.

[Tainari88]

@Bill_Nye the world is going to have to redraw the map politically speaking. And I think all countries are going to have to let the idea of a US that is a hegemony go. He will wind up with his hands full demostically. And the US has massive debt that he will drive up so high? That it will be seriously problematic.

So yes. The best thing is for all nations to work on their own independent relationships without really worrying about what happens in Washington DC for them. If they relied on the US for military expenditures, and humanitarian aid packages or for research and development? That needs to be reconsidered Bill Nye.

[Puffer Fish]

As of December 4, 2024, Macron has been thrown out.

The Left and the Right unexpectedly joined forces on a vote of no confidence to eject him. Apparently Macron's Party was going to push 'austerity' measures, and apparently the only thing the Left hates more than the Right is 'austerity' and cutting off the flow of free money.

I'm not exactly sure how the Left and Right are going to get along, but they must have reached some sort of tentative plan, otherwise it would have been pointless to do this because Macron could not be replaced due to the balance of power and the stalemate between Left and Right.

[MadMonk]

As of December 4, 2024, Macron has been thrown out.

The Left and the Right unexpectedly joined forces on a vote of no confidence to eject him. Apparently Macron's Party was going to push 'austerity' measures, and apparently the only thing the Left hates more than the Right is 'austerity' and cutting off the flow of free money.

I'm not exactly sure how the Left and Right are going to get along, but they must have reached some sort of tentative plan, otherwise it would have been pointless to do this because Macron could not be replaced due to the balance of power and the stalemate between Left and Right.

Macron can not be replaced, atleast not by this action. He is the president and will remain so until 2027, barring resignation or impeachment. His appointed government under Prime Minister Barnier was brought down yesterday, who has governed with a minority support in parliament for about 3 months.

Barnier attempted to push his budget without legislative support. It wasn't only austerity measures included, but also tax hikes on high income earners as well as capital gains. This 'united' the Left and Right to torpedo the government. Macron will quickly appoint a new one and try again.