By Penelope Galliou

Under the shadow of the election result in the USA and the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the heads of state from the old continent are meeting today in Budapest, at the fifth session of the European Political Community.

At a critical juncture in the US presidential transition, European leaders will discuss security challenges facing Europe, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and continued escalation in the Middle East, migration and related issues. with economic security and world trade.

Issues which the developments on the other side of the Atlantic push to the top of the discussion agenda, given that the international community now expects, with the assumption of the duties of the American presidency by Donald Trump, a change in attitude and policy in many of which will affect the status quo as well as Europe-US relations.

“I think it should come as no surprise that Donald Trump might push for a capitulation of Ukraine.” commented the internationalist and ND MP Dimitris Kairidis to SKAI, given that even during the election campaign the new American president declared that he wants to “end the war in Ukraine”.

However, the new president’s review of the economic and commercial transactions of the USA also causes great concern, as Donald Trump said in his election campaign that “we must be careful about the products that come from China, Mexico, Canada and the EU. Eh.” therefore, according to International Law professor and ND MP, Angelos Syrigos, “we should expect that there will be tariffs on products.” He recalled that “six years ago under Trump, tariffs were imposed on the steel products we (as Greece) sent to America, which affected a part of our own export industry».

The result of the American election will be in the spotlight as well Informal Summit of the 27 leaderswhich will be held tomorrow in Budapest, and above all the established dinner of the leaders tonight, looking for a common pace against the developments. As far as the agenda of the European Council is concerned, European competitiveness on the occasion of the Draghi report will be at the center, in the presence of Christine Lagarde and Mario Draghi himself.

It is the first time, after all, that European leaders will discuss the report in detail and seek to reach a common text on the priorities of European competitiveness. According to government sources, the Greek prime minister, who has already spoken about a very important text, is expected to emphasize the importance of joint European financing of goods of common European interest, such as energy and defense, while underlining that in fact the debate on competitiveness is linked to the election result in the US and Euro-Atlantic relations.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself, moreover, has already planned yesterday for the positions of the Greek side with which he arrives in Budapest, stressing that Europe must dynamically search for its place in a global map of relationships and interests that is constantly changing. “To carve out bold paths in order to make the European economy more competitive, strengthening social cohesion at the same time. As Europeans, we should finally organize our energy independence, but also launch our common defense”, he stressed, giving the character of urgency to Europe’s strategic autonomy.

With regard to energy, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected, according to the same sources, to emphasize the need to reform energy markets and to promote electricity interconnections. A fact highlighted by Mr. Draghi in his report, while the Greek Prime Minister also highlighted this dimension in his letter to the President of the Commission, in September, regarding the fluctuations in electricity prices as a distortion of the single market.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to make a special reference to the issue of European defense, stressing that Europe’s ambitions in this area should not be at the expense of other budget priorities, such as resources for Cohesion. On the occasion of the deadly floods in Spain, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will repeat the need for Europe to do more in the field of adaptation to climate change.