Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his congratulations to Donald Trump for his emphatic victory in the US elections, noting that Europe should wake up from its geopolitical naivety and secure additional resources for competitiveness and European defense.

Upon his arrival at the 5th session of the European Political Community, in Budapest, Mitsotakis expressed the hope that “the transatlantic relationship will remain strong to solve important regional and global problems,” clarifying that Europe cannot approach this relationship from a position of weakness.

“Europe cannot change the world, but it can certainly change itself to face a changing world,” he said, adding: “I believe it is time to
wake up from our geopolitical naivety and realize that we need to secure additional resources to be able to face the big challenges, whether they are issues of competitiveness or issues of European defense.”

“I hope that we have reached a point where we will have this discussion with the seriousness and urgency that these times demand,” Mitsotakis concluded.

In detail the statement of Kyriakos Mitsotakis
This meeting of the European Political Community and the European Council here in Budapest is taking place at a time of great geopolitical turbulence.

I would like to begin by expressing my congratulations to President Trump on his emphatic victory and express the hope that the transatlantic relationship will remain strong in order to solve important regional and global problems.

Of course, we have to be quite realistic as Europeans and we cannot approach this transatlantic partnership from a position of weakness. Europe cannot change the world, but it can certainly change itself to deal with a changing world.

Therefore, the discussions we will have in the European Council, particularly on issues of European competitiveness, are particularly timely.

I believe that it is time to wake up from our geopolitical naivety and realize that we need to secure additional resources to be able to face the major challenges, whether they are issues of competitiveness or issues of European defense.

I hope that we have reached a point where we can have this debate with the seriousness and urgency that these times demand.