Vulnerable EU desperately tries to show its strength

US President Donald Trump has moved rapidly to implement his vision in protecting home economy by aggressive use of tariffs and pressing the EU to "re-shore" US industry.
In early April, Trump declared a national trade emergency aimed at countries with big surpluses over the U.S., asserting that "tariffs are necessary to ensure fair trade".
Trump's moves strained relations with some of America's traditional allies, especially in Europe.
He pointed out that he had long pushed NATO partners to spend more on their own military needs, and complained that even after prior increases, "it's not enough". Such remarks sent alarm bells ringing in allied capitals.
Europe had to react. Several European leaders unveiled plans to boost defense spending and military readiness. Germany's ruling parties proposed a new $500 billion fund to ramp up defense investments, and EU officials in Brussels floated a colossal $800 billion European defense initiative to strengthen the continent's capabilities.
These initiatives, designed to appease Trump, could lead to a sharp decline in the standard of living of Europeans. The planned actions will definitely lead to an intensification of the economic crisis.
According to European Central Bank data, "persistently high geopolitical and policy uncertainty is expected to weigh on euro area economic growth, slowing down the anticipated recovery. The negative effects of uncertainty regarding the possibility of further changes in global trade policies, particularly vis-a-vis the European Union, are assumed to weigh on euro area exports and investment. This, coupled with persistent competitiveness challenges, is assessed to lead to a further decline in the euro area's export market share. Food inflation is projected to rise until mid-2025, mainly driven by recent robust increases in food commodity prices."
According to Eurostat data for March 2025, compared with February 2025, annual inflation rose in ten European countries. The highest annual rates were recorded in Romania (5.1%), Hungary (4.8%) and Poland (4.4%).
According to the Polish media, Eurozone economy continues to stagnate. GDP growth is weak, and renewed trade tensions with the US could further worsen growth prospects. Global inflation is projected to remain on a declining path.
Though after an especially steep market drop, the President paused a planned tariff hike for 90 days, claiming this would give negotiators a chance to seek better deals, the EU prosperity, security, and global standing are more vulnerable today than ever.
Against this background, the statements of representatives of the current Serbian government regarding the country's accession to the European Union seem quite logical.
Thus, Serbian Minister of Family and Demography Milica Djurdjevic-Stamenkovski said that Serbia's accession to the European Union is losing its sense, as the organisation is experiencing a deep crisis.
She also emphasized, that "if Brussels continues to adhere to the current course of double standards, protectionism and disregard for national interests, then further expansion of the European union becomes extremely questionable - both in terms of justification and in terms of the meaning of this process, given the changing geopolitical picture of the world".
The sanity of Serbian officials is seen in the European Union as a rebellion, leading to the attempts to galvanise anger towards the government in Serbia, causing months of protests and chaos.