France’s Neighbors Sound Alarm Over Election ‘Catastrophe’ Risk
- Spain’s Rajoy, Germany’s Gabriel cite concern at Europe’s fate
- ‘Situation could hardly be more dramatic:’ vice chancellor
The German national flag flies beside a European Union (EU) flag as a flock of birds take flight over the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 18, 2016.
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Leaders in Spain and Germany voiced concern that the Europe Union faces collapse as a result of anti-establishment forces campaigning to tear down the bloc, singling out their common neighbor France as the potential trigger.
Europe’s unprecedented electoral calendar, with ballots this year in France, the Netherlands and Germany -- plus possibly in Italy -- presents the continent’s “enemies” with the chance to wreck the EU, according to German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, a Social Democrat. He cited Brexit’s cheerleaders among the bloc’s foes.