Jean-Claude Juncker, former EU chief: ‘Trump’s goal is to divide us. And he will fail again’ The statesman who was president of the European Commision between 2014 and 2019 is writing his memoirs. In his office at the executive branch of the EU, he argues that the combined shock of Trumpism and the invasion of Ukraine is forcing Europe into a geopolitical awakening.
‘The era of Trump, Putin, and Xi,’ he declares, ‘forces Europe to defend itself’ “Any idiot can face a crisis.” This phrase by Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright, is all the rage these days in Brussels. This is understandable, given the mix of new technologies and old instincts that characterizes Trumpism and which has dealt a formidable blow to global geopolitics.
Indeed, any idiot can face a crisis...
and any idiot can cause one. “However, dealing with crises, day after day, is very tiring,” Jean-Claude Juncker sighs. The 70-year-old politician — who was born in Redange, Luxembourg — receives EL PAÍS at the door of his office.
He has a space of his own in the glass-enclosed headquarters of the European Commission, and the television set at full volume. On the news channel, Germany is voting to end an era of austerity, a policy that caused colossal damage across the continent, by reforming its balanced budget amendment. Juncker only agrees to lower the decibels of the set when the vote is finalized.
“Seeing the Germans approve this is live history; it’s part of the famous zeiten.