The scene takes place in 2020 at the Davos Forum in Switzerland. The then US President Donald Trump is present and talks to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The French Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, is also at her side.
Four years later, during a session in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday January 10, 2024, the same Thierry Breton tells this anecdote. Above all, the content of the exchange, where the European heads of state and government were literally there.
“We will leave NATO!” »
You must understand that we will never help and support you if Europe is attacked, said Trump von der Leyen. Anyway, NATO is dead, and we will leave NATO, we will leave NATO! . Donald Trump goes even further. And then you owe me $400 billion because you Germans didn't pay what you should have paid for your defense.
A few days before the start of the American election campaign, Commissioner Thierry Breton would like to draw attention to the situation with this anecdote. It was quite a wake-up call and he can come back. Therefore, today more than ever, we have no choice but to strengthen the European pillar in order to be prepared for all eventualities.