Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Brussels reacts to Trump win in US elections

To Brussels now where both the European Union and the NATO military alliance are headquartered and have been reacting to Donald Trump's election win. 

Our Europe correspondent Jack Parrock brings us this report.

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REPORTER VO:
A Donald Trump presidency throws the US led NATO military alliance into uncertainty - prompting secretary general Jens Stoltenberg to make this statement at NATO in Brussels.

BITE: Jens Stoltenberg - NATO secretary general
"The NATO security guarantees are important for Europe, but they are also important for the United States."

REPORTER VO:
It's a reaction to comments made on Trump's campaign trial which scared eastern NATO member countries who border Russia.

BITE: Donald Trump - US president elect
"Many countries are not paying their fair share. That means we are protecting them and they are getting all sorts of military protection and other things and they're ripping off the United States and they're ripping you off."

REPORTER VO:
Russia president Vladimir Putin has welcomed Trump's election win and says he hopes to rebuilt relations between Washington and Moscow.
Europe and the US have been locked into a sanctions exchange with Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

BITE: Francois Hollande - French president 
"This context calls for a united Europe, able to express itself and carry a policy everywhere its interests or its value are at stake."

REPORTER VO:
Those values had already been shaken by the UK's vote to leave the EU in June and some believe Trump's victory will give confidence to right-wing movements here.

BITE: Pieter Cleppe - Open Europe
"The establishment, especially in Europe, has been seen as largely failing to address the concerns of citizens both with regards to the economy and with regards to immigration."

REPORTER ON SCREEN: Jack Parrock, Brussels
Those concerns may be expressed when French and Dutch voters head to elections in the coming year -  resurgent right-wing factions across Europe are likely to be bolstered in confidence by the Trump win.
Jack Parrock, SABC News, Brussels
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