French Prime Minister Manuel Valls fears “Europe could die” if politicians don’t listen to the citizens and let populism grow as a result.
Valls said the European Union needs to tackle the migrant crisis, terrorism and the lacking solidarity between member states. He said Brexit and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump have shown how important it is to address citizen concerns.
“Europe is in danger of falling apart,” Valls said Thursday at an event in Berlin organized by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. “So Germany and France have a huge responsibility.”
Valls said Trump’s election has opened the door for populists in other countries to gain power. National Front leader Marine Le Pen is looking to pull off an upset in France’s presidential election next spring, which Valls believes is possible for the first time.
“What has changed in the world and Europe since Nov. 8 is that it’s possible,” Valls said. “We face a historic moment … perilous for the world, perilous for Europe and perilous for France.”
U.S. President Barack Obama is in Berlin to meet European leaders Friday morning. One of the issues that will be discussed is how the continent can reunite.
“We all know what happens when Europeans start dividing themselves and emphasize their differences,” Obama said Monday in Greece. “The 20th century was a bloodbath.”
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