Former US president Donald Trump’s “nationalism” poses a danger to his own country, Germany’s Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck claimed.
The Green MP made the comment during an official visit to the US on March 7, the aim of which was to dissuade American politicians from further pursuit of isolationist trade policies.
According to German media, Habeck’s trip has been derailed by the collapse of Nikki Haley’s US presidential election campaign, with the centre-right Republican’s decision to abandon the race leaving Trump as the sole viable candidate for the party.
Speaking in the wake of the Trump victory, Habeck warned the American public against his re-election, insisting that would be bad for the country.
“This cannot be in the interests of the Americans,” he said, claiming Trump had “broken” countless norms of foreign diplomacy during his previous time in office.
“Nationalism harms the economy, harms peace and the people.”
Habeck added that the real US presidential campaign “hasn’t even started yet”, before praising the administration of current US President Joe Biden as having helped to create “good progress in building co-operation” between Germany and the US.
A tale of two energy revolutions: How Germany got it astonishingly wrong and the United States got it astoundingly right. Now the whole of Europe needs to choose, writes @Raphfel. https://t.co/HaeGMX6me6
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 20, 2024
The senior German minister’s comments come amid attempts by his country to strengthen economic relations with the US and encourage it to increase its support for Ukraine.
A key element of Habeck’s trip was designed to try to help boost trade between Germany and the US. The Green politician’s country has become ever more reliant on trans-Atlantic commerce as relations between China – its single largest trading partner – and the West sour.
Habeck is now calling for an to end all US tariffs on European steel and aluminium. He also wants to persuade the Biden administration that German electric cars should be given equal treatment to similar US-made vehicles in the country.
While his aims for the trip are ambitious, Germany’s industry leaders do not appear to think he will succeed.
Siegfried Russwurm, the President of the Federation of German Industries, warned that Habeck’s free-trade hopes are not universally appreciated in the US.
“Not everyone in the US is convinced,” he said, noting the protectionist nature of Biden’s own Inflation Reduction Act, which has already caused problems for Europe’s “green” industry.
Habeck is expected to hold meetings on that topic with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Finance Secretary Janet Yellen and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
Whatever the outcome of this year’s U.S. presidential election, the EU still relies on the United States for defence. A NATO without America would be a disaster for Europe, writes Derrick Wyatt. @BlogWyatt https://t.co/Rv72FZ3Pfd
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 13, 2024
