French president calls on European countries to stand ‘stand together’ at meeting of leaders in Lisbon

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

French president François Hollande has said that the Trump administration was encouraging “populism and even extremism“, as he and fellow southern European leaders urged unity to face an increasingly uncertain world.

“We have to stand together in Europe,” Hollande said during a meeting in Lisbon on Saturday.

“What is at stake is populism. The kind of discourse now coming from the United States encourages populism and even extremism.”

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Hollande was speaking at a meeting of southern European leaders in Lisbon, which showed growing concern of threats to European unity at a time of Brexit and growing populism.

The leaders, who face risks ranging from Europe’s refugee crisis to slow economic growth and high debts, said in a joint declaration that they confront a world with “growing uncertainties and instability,” making European unity even more important.

“Weakening Europe is not an option,” they said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The leaders of Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Cyprus and Italy put forward a joint statement.

Photograph: Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images

The group includes France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta and Cyprus.

None of the other leaders spoke directly about the new US president, but they showed their determination in opposing the protectionist trade policies that his administration is promoting.

“We need to develop a robust trade policy based on fair exchanges, the promotion of our standards and the safeguarding or our way of life,” the declaration said. “Protectionist reactions are not the right answer.”

Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni said: “We have a message of confidence and hope regarding what we are and what the European Union has achieved over the past 30 years. It is not necessary that 2017 will be a year of crisis for the EU.”

Saturday’s meeting of the leaders is the second of what are planned to be regular gatherings.

At the first meeting of the group last in September in Athens, they called for European measures to boost flagging growth. At the time, German officials urged the group not to push for fiscal relaxation of EU rules.

On Saturday, the leaders talked about the need for economic convergence with richer northern European countries and policies to boost growth, but they stressed the need for cooperation with all of Europe at a time of uncertainty.