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| European parliament leaders call on EU to reject Trump's likely ambassador pick | European parliament leaders call on EU to reject Trump's likely ambassador pick |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The European parliament’s main political parties are making an unprecedented attempt to block Donald Trump’s likely choice as ambassador to the European Union from EU buildings, describing him as hostile and malevolent. | The European parliament’s main political parties are making an unprecedented attempt to block Donald Trump’s likely choice as ambassador to the European Union from EU buildings, describing him as hostile and malevolent. |
| In a startling move that threatens a major diplomatic row, the leaders of the conservative, socialist and liberal groups in Brussels have written to the European commission and the European council, whose members represent the 28 EU states, to reject the appointment of Ted Malloch. | In a startling move that threatens a major diplomatic row, the leaders of the conservative, socialist and liberal groups in Brussels have written to the European commission and the European council, whose members represent the 28 EU states, to reject the appointment of Ted Malloch. |
| Malloch, a businessman who stridently supported Brexit ahead of the vote in June, is said to have been interviewed for the post by Trump. | Malloch, a businessman who stridently supported Brexit ahead of the vote in June, is said to have been interviewed for the post by Trump. |
| When recently asked by the BBC why he was interested in moving to Brussels, Malloch replied: “I had in a previous career a diplomatic post where I helped bring down the Soviet Union. So maybe there’s another union that needs a little taming.” | When recently asked by the BBC why he was interested in moving to Brussels, Malloch replied: “I had in a previous career a diplomatic post where I helped bring down the Soviet Union. So maybe there’s another union that needs a little taming.” |
| He also said that Trump was not a fan of the EU, described it as “supranational and unelected” and attacked the European commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker. “Mr Juncker was a very adequate mayor I think of some city in Luxembourg, and maybe he should go back and do that again,” he said. | He also said that Trump was not a fan of the EU, described it as “supranational and unelected” and attacked the European commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker. “Mr Juncker was a very adequate mayor I think of some city in Luxembourg, and maybe he should go back and do that again,” he said. |
| Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right EPP and an ally of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Guy Verhofstadt, who leads the liberal ALDE group, accused Malloch of “outrageous malevolence” towards “the values that define this European Union”. | Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right EPP and an ally of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Guy Verhofstadt, who leads the liberal ALDE group, accused Malloch of “outrageous malevolence” towards “the values that define this European Union”. |
| In a letter seen by the Guardian, Weber and Verhofstadt address the president of the European commission and the president of the European council, Donald Tusk: “In the past weeks, Ted R. Malloch, the likely nominee by US President Trump to become the new US ambassador to the European Union, made a series of public statements denigrating the EU. | In a letter seen by the Guardian, Weber and Verhofstadt address the president of the European commission and the president of the European council, Donald Tusk: “In the past weeks, Ted R. Malloch, the likely nominee by US President Trump to become the new US ambassador to the European Union, made a series of public statements denigrating the EU. |
| “In these statements, the prospective nominee expressed his ambition to ‘tame the bloc like he brought down the Soviet Union’, eloquently supported dissolution of the European Union and explicitly bet on the demise of the common currency within months. | “In these statements, the prospective nominee expressed his ambition to ‘tame the bloc like he brought down the Soviet Union’, eloquently supported dissolution of the European Union and explicitly bet on the demise of the common currency within months. |
| “These statements reveal outrageous malevolence regarding the values that define this European Union and, if pronounced by an official representative of the United States, they would have the potential to undermine seriously the transatlantic relationship that has, for the past 70 years, essentially contributed to peace, stability and prosperity on our continent.” | “These statements reveal outrageous malevolence regarding the values that define this European Union and, if pronounced by an official representative of the United States, they would have the potential to undermine seriously the transatlantic relationship that has, for the past 70 years, essentially contributed to peace, stability and prosperity on our continent.” |
| A letter from the leader of the Socialists and Democrats group, Gianni Pittella, describes Malloch’s statements as “shocking” and urges the EU institutions to treat him as a “persona non grata”. He writes: “Mr Malloch openly expressed himself to be in favour of the dissolution of the EU – to be ‘brought down as the Soviet Union’ – and wants to see the demise of the common currency within months, clearly show[ing] Mr Malloch’s hostility not only toward the European Union as such but also to our common values and principles. | A letter from the leader of the Socialists and Democrats group, Gianni Pittella, describes Malloch’s statements as “shocking” and urges the EU institutions to treat him as a “persona non grata”. He writes: “Mr Malloch openly expressed himself to be in favour of the dissolution of the EU – to be ‘brought down as the Soviet Union’ – and wants to see the demise of the common currency within months, clearly show[ing] Mr Malloch’s hostility not only toward the European Union as such but also to our common values and principles. |
| “We firmly believe that ignoring this unacceptable stance would undermine our future relationship with the US administration and could potentially contribute to the spread of populism and Euroscepticism across Europe. | “We firmly believe that ignoring this unacceptable stance would undermine our future relationship with the US administration and could potentially contribute to the spread of populism and Euroscepticism across Europe. |
| “Therefore, the S&D Group is clear that Mr Malloch should not be accepted as an official representative to the EU and should be declared a ‘persona non grata’.” | “Therefore, the S&D Group is clear that Mr Malloch should not be accepted as an official representative to the EU and should be declared a ‘persona non grata’.” |
| For a nominated ambassador to the EU to receive accreditation as head of a mission in Brussels, that person requires the approval of the commission and the European council along with the member states and the European External Action Service, which is akin to a foreign office. | For a nominated ambassador to the EU to receive accreditation as head of a mission in Brussels, that person requires the approval of the commission and the European council along with the member states and the European External Action Service, which is akin to a foreign office. |
| The leaders of the conservative and liberal groups add in their letter: “We are strongly convinced that persons seeing as their mission to disrupt or dissolve the European Union, should not be accredited as official representatives to the EU. | |
| “On behalf of our political groups in the European parliament, we urge you not to accept the accreditation credentials of Mr Malloch, should he be proposed as US Ambassador to the EU.” | “On behalf of our political groups in the European parliament, we urge you not to accept the accreditation credentials of Mr Malloch, should he be proposed as US Ambassador to the EU.” |
| Commenting on the letter, Verhofstadt, who is also the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, said: “Mr Malloch has made a series of public statements denigrating the EU, which threaten to undermine our traditionally strong relationship with the United States. The last thing we need in Europe is more nationalism, exported by the Trump administration. We demand that his accreditation is rejected.” | Commenting on the letter, Verhofstadt, who is also the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, said: “Mr Malloch has made a series of public statements denigrating the EU, which threaten to undermine our traditionally strong relationship with the United States. The last thing we need in Europe is more nationalism, exported by the Trump administration. We demand that his accreditation is rejected.” |
| In another letter, published in the Guardian, 52 European figures affiliated with the European council on foreign relations have called on EU leaders meeting for a summit in Malta on Friday to stand up to Trump over his executive order on immigration. | |
| They write that the order “condemns entire nations and prevents refugees who have committed no crime from finding safety, making an international response to the refugee crisis all the harder. It also risks setting back co-operation on terrorism while stimulating Isis’s recruitment.” | They write that the order “condemns entire nations and prevents refugees who have committed no crime from finding safety, making an international response to the refugee crisis all the harder. It also risks setting back co-operation on terrorism while stimulating Isis’s recruitment.” |
| In response, the signatories say the EU should present a united front in defence of human rights, launch a rule-of-law mission to assist EU citizens in American ports and airports and “think about European security … in a more consolidated and responsible fashion”. | In response, the signatories say the EU should present a united front in defence of human rights, launch a rule-of-law mission to assist EU citizens in American ports and airports and “think about European security … in a more consolidated and responsible fashion”. |