European leaders condemn, praise Trump’s immigration ban

Global Business

European leaders speak out as the fallout from Donald Trump’s latest executive order spreads around the globe.

CGTN’s Guy Henderson reports from Berlin.
Follow Guy Henderson on Twitter @guyhendersonde

The wait and see period is well and truly over.

A torrent of international condemnation is being hurled at U.S. President Donald Trump.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel perhaps his most powerful critic of all.

“The necessary and decisive battle against terrorism does not in any way justify putting groups of certain belief under general suspicion — in this case people of Muslim belief or of a certain descent. In my opinion, this act runs contrary to the basic principles of international refugee assistance and international cooperation,” Merkel said.

On Friday, British Prime Minister Theresa May left Washington gleaming – the first foreign leader to the White House: she appeared to have bridged a gaping Trans-Atlantic gap. The two were literally holding hands.

Hours later – the U.S. president sprung a surprise that may have undone much of that goodwill.

The rift is more than ideological. The U.S. ban on entry for citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries could affect Britons and Europeans with dual nationality.

Including Omid Nouripour – a German MP with Iranian citizenship. Nouripour is vice chair of parliament’s German-U.S. Friendship Group.

“What Trump has done there now has nothing to do with security. If it were a matter of security, he would have to look at where the 9/11 attackers came from, for example. These countries are not all affected. One would assume because Trump has a great deal of business with these countries,” Nouripour said.

In Brussels, the European Commission, including Margaritis Schinas, has joined the chorus.

The criticism is not universal – far right-wing leaders from Germany to the Netherlands have praised Trump’s move. Their hope: that the electoral upset in the U.S. can be repeated here this year. What’s not yet clear is what their growing number of supporters will make of this latest reality of a populist in power.