Weber: Trump's victory, signal for EU to take over US role in the Western Balkans

The world expects changes in the foreign policy of the United States after Donald Trump won the presidential election. His warnings during the campaign showed that Europe and the world could be hit by political and economic turmoil.

Political analyst Bodo Weber, senior associate of the Council of Democracy Policy (DPC) in Berlin, for “Klux. ba” has talked about the impact of the Trump administration in Germany and the reflections in the Western Balkans, writes Telegrafi

The US plays a crucial role in shaping the world economy and are one of Germany's most important trade partners, especially when it comes to trade. Taking into account Trump's announcement of establishing new customs fees, if that happens, would have negative consequences for Germany's economy, but also for the rest of Europe.

Of course, the threat of a trade war between the United States and not only Germany, but also the EU, worries authorities in politics, economics, but citizens, because it would further deepen the already existing recession in Germany. Germany is more vulnerable there than some other countries in Europe because of the large role of exports to the German economy”, he said, broadcast Telegraphy.

It is still not officially known who will make up Trump administration, but there is some information from people close to him. What most intrigued the public in the Western Balkans is the assumption that Richard Green could be Secretary of State.

It is the former special envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, which is the most meritive of the agreement defining the Association of Serb-run municipalities. He recently shocked the statement that not every crime is genocide, at the moment of the warned adoption of the Srebrenica Resolution at the UN General Assembly.

German analyst agrees that Grenelli's appointment could pose a threat to the Western Balkans, especially when it comes to having access to Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, or the fact that there are established lobby connections in that relationship.

Green's <x0/Engeration as Secretary of State, due to his support for Vucchiqi and other autocrats, and his support for previous negotiations on the exchange of territory between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as dangerous nationalist agendas of the local ethno-nationalist elites in the region, would certainly pose a serious threat to the stability and democratic future of the region, so it is now important that the EU finally takes the lead in the region, based on a strong protection of liberal-democratic values, instead of copying the actual policies of the transacting of Trumpcial through the wrong focus of the economy and the various economic rules, the WebS explained.

In the previous mandate, as well as during the election campaign, Trump announced the reduction of American military influence in Europe and even the withdrawal of the US from NATO. Such moves would weaken Europe's military power, especially when considered that the burden of war in Ukraine would now be even more on this continent.

“It is hard that the EU can replace the role of American troops in Europe even in the medium-term if Trump actually fulfills its threats of full withdrawal, while the EU is not prepared for that scenario. We should wait and see if Trump will really take that most radical step, I'm not sure of that, but Europe will certainly have to engage much more in terms of security in Europe, starting with Ukraine's support”, he said.

He stresses that the EU, in any case, should replace the US role in the Western Balkans.

“The region where the EU can and should replace the US role in the Western Balkans, so through a significant and decisive strengthening of EUFOR and strengthening of EU troops in KFOR, as well as a possible US offer to do so in replacing the American contingent ) which would reduce the potential negative influence of the American administration in Kosovo-Serbia-18x1> dialogue, Weber has concluded.