Ursula von der Leyen – EU welcomes a “buddy” within the White Home, a lot to do collectively

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The president of the EU govt stated on Wednesday she appeared ahead to having a buddy within the White Home who might work with Europe on preventing local weather change, quashing the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding multilateralism.

European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen stated she hoped incoming U.S. President Joe Biden would be a part of forces with the European Union to impose authorized requirements and norms on the digital world to rein in hatred, lies and faux information.

“In a number of hours Trump will probably be historical past, however his supporters are there,” von der Leyen instructed a gaggle of reporters in Brussels forward of Biden’s inauguration to succeed Donald Trump.

“I think we all experienced the effect and sometimes the … heavy negative impact on our democracy if there’s hate out there, there’s polarisation, fake news. And I’m sure that we will have an ally to work on that.”

Referring to Twitter’s determination to ban Trump from the platform after the siege of the Capitol in Washington, von der Leyen stated such a choice shouldn’t be taken by an organization or a chief govt however inside a authorized framework that digital firms adjust to.

She stated a joint commerce and technical council between the USA and the 27-nation EU ought to contemplate such issues.

Relations between the EU and the USA had been shaky throughout the Trump administration, with tensions specifically over commerce. Von der Leyen stated the EU and Biden knew and preferred one another, and she or he was hopeful they may obtain a lot collectively.

“We’re both aware that what we have to do now is develop a global agenda – to join forces, and to tackle the big topics that are ahead of us: that’s fight climate change together, overcome this pandemic and rebuild multilateralism,” she stated.

Von der Leyen defended the EU’s current funding pact with China as a part of its financial partnership and competitors with Beijing however stated that, like Washington, Brussels noticed China as a “systemic rival” when it got here to democracy and human rights.

Von der Leyen, the primary feminine president of the European Fee, stated she welcomed the inauguration of Kamala Harris as the primary girl to turn out to be vice-president of the USA.