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full screen EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gives a speech in Davos. Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP/TT
The EU is ready to quickly discuss and negotiate with the new US president Donald Trump, but without giving up its own interests, says EU base Ursula von der Leyen.
And she remains firmly behind the fight against climate change.
The Commission President’s line speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos is a first clear response to how the EU leadership intends to handle the regime change in Washington.
– We will be pragmatic, but always stick to our principles. We will defend our interests and stick to our values, says von der Leyen.
At the same time, she clearly emphasizes how closely connected the economies are in Europe and the US.
– No other economies in the world are so integrated. European companies employ 3.5 million Americans in the United States, and another million American jobs are directly dependent on trade with Europe, the commission base explains.
In the speech, she is careful that the EU must change and become more competitive, not least through regulatory simplification and less bureaucracy.
Unlike Donald Trump, however, she also expresses strong continued support for the Paris Agreement and the fight against climate change in the world.
– No one can turn a blind eye to it, believes Ursula von der Leyen.