Speaking at the Carlos de Amberes Foundation in Madrid, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that against the backdrop of a growing global population, Europe may finally "shrink" to the threshold when there will be no major states there.
Describing Europe as "the closest continent," Juncker predicted that no EU member will make up more than one percent of the global population within the next few years.
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"There will no EU state that will be a G7 member in several years, and given the extent we are shrinking, we have to find forces that will make us active and indivisible," he underscored.
He also warned not to listen to those who "do not want to see Europe the way we want it to be," assuring that Europe "will never be created against nations."
Juncker said that he was very much surprised about the US President once calling Europe "a rival", because "I grew up with this naive idea that America and Europe were brother and sister."
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"In every family it happens that an elder brother does not respect younger brothers who have a long memory. And that's why we must explain to our friends on the other side of the Atlantic that since the Second World War we have made Europe a haven of peace. This exhausted continent found the strength to agree on what we should do together," Juncker noted.
He cautioned against adhering to the approach which stipulates considering relations between the continents as those between the states.
"We talk about preserving a multilateral system and confronting the short-lived charm of a rash unilateral approach. We must tell our American friends that we, the EU, want to remain committed to who we are and to what we have built together," Juncker concluded.
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His remarks came a few days after he announced temporary protective measures on the import of 23 categories of steel products into the EU, citing the consequences of US tariffs on European steel and aluminum introduced last month.
Brussels slapped billions of dollars worth of tariffs on US jeans, motorcycles and whiskey, in retaliation against President Donald Trump slapping 25 percent import duties on steel and 10 percent duties on aluminum.
US-EU ties have also been tarnished by Washington's threats against European companies doing business with Tehran following Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
