France, Germany urge Europe to unite in face of Trump election win

The European Union must be united and coordinate closely in view of Donald Trump's coming return to the White House, the leaders of the bloc's two main powers, Germany and France, have said after holding talks to coordinate their response.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Trump on Tuesday's election victory, but were also quick to stress the challenges posed by his "America First" protectionist trade policy and isolationist rhetoric.

"The European Union must stand close together and act in a united manner," Scholz told reporters, adding that he and Macron were coordinating closely with other EU heads of state and government.

Macron said on X that Berlin and Paris would work for a united, stronger Europe within "the new context".

Achieving European unity will however be challenging, not least because over...