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| German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande address the media at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany January 27, 2017 |
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande underscored the need for European unity in the face of growing internal and external threats, including the rise of populism across Europe and US threats to abandon free trade.
โEurope faces big internal and external challenges which we โฆ can only master by working together,โ Merkel told a news conference on Friday with Hollande.
She added: โWe need a clear, common commitment to the European Union, to what we have accomplished, and to the values of our liberal, democratic democracies.โ
Hollande said the rise of populists on the continent was a major threat for the European Union.
โTo be very honest, what threatens Europe doesnโt only come from outside. It is also from inside. This means the rise of extremists who use external factors to cause disruption internally,โ Hollande said.
The two leaders did not take questions.
