50 European leaders assess how Trump will affect their fortunes and seek a common stance on Russia

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Around 50 European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, were reassessing their trans-Atlantic relations at a summit Thursday in the hope that Donald Trump's second U.S. presidency will avoid the strife of his first administration.

European officials will also be seeking a strong common stance on Russia at the one-day gathering.

Rutte, who was Dutch prime minister during Trump's first 2017-2021 presidency, said that “I worked with him very well for four years. He is extremely clear about what he wants. He understands that you have to deal with each other to come to joint positions. And I think we can do that.”

And he insisted that the common challenges posed by Russia in Ukraine affected both sides of the Atlantic.

“Russia is delivering the latest technology into North Korea in return for North Korean help with the war against Ukraine. And this is a threat not only to the European part of NATO, but also to the U.S. mainland,” Rutte said coming into the summit.

Trump strongly pushed the European NATO allies to spend more on defense during his first presidency, to up and beyond 2% of gross domestic product and to be less reliant on U.S. military cover. That point has totally sunk in.

“When he was president, he was the one in NATO who stimulated us to move over the 2%. And now, also thanks to him, NATO, if you take out the numbers of the U.S., is above the 2%.,” Rutte said.

Charles Michel, the council president of the 27-nation European Union, agreed that the continent needed to become less reliant on the United States.

“We have to be more masters of our destiny," he said. "Not because of Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, but because of our children.”

During his election campaign, Trump has threatened anything from a trade war with Europe to a withdrawal of NATO commitments and a fundamental shift of support for Ukraine in its war with Russia — all issues that could have groundbreaking consequences for nations across Europe.

Trump has said he would end the war in Ukraine, now well into its third year, within days of being reelected. Ukraine and many of its European backers fear that this means a peace on terms favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin and involving the surrender of territory.

European allies in NATO hope to convince Trump that if he helps to negotiate any peace, it should be done from a position of strength, for both Ukraine and the United States.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the summit’s host and an ardent Trump fan, said early Thursday that he already had a phone call with the incoming president overnight, announcing that “We have big plans for the future!”

So did hard-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who lauded the “deep and historic strategic partnership that has always tied Rome and Washington.”

That partnership came under constant pressure during Trump’s first term, from 2017-2021.

Trump’s administration slapped tariffs on EU steel and aluminum in 2018, based on the claim that foreign products, even if produced by American allies, were a threat to U.S. national security. Europeans and other allies retaliated with duties on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items.

The impact of the U.S. election result could be felt in Europe for years to come, on issues including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as migration and climate change.

Among the leaders, Zelenskyy, who is expected to make another plea for more aid as his country fends off Moscow’s invasion. The timing is laden with significance as Trump has vowed to end the war “within 24 hours” of being elected — something leaders in Kyiv interpret as an impending evaporation of U.S. support following Trump's win.

Further compounding an already complicated situation, Germany — Europe’s troubled economic juggernaut — sank into political crisis after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister. It raises the specter of an election in a few months and yet another standoff between the emboldened hard right and the establishment parties in Europe.

Those two combined “adds even more pepper and salt to this situation,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

Lorne Cook contributed to this report from Brussels.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center left, speaks with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, center right, as he arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

European Council President Charles Michel speaks with the media as he arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, center, arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

European Council President Charles Michel speaks with the media as he arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, and Latvia's Prime Minister Evika Silina, right, arrive for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks with the media as he arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Serbia's President Aleksander Vucic speaks with the media as he arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Becirovic, center, arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, left, welcomes Moldova's President Maia Sandu during arrivals for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, right, speaks with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, center, as he arrives for the European Political Community (EPC) Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr Josek)

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s government coalition has collapsed in dramatic fashion after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats in a late-night move following a marathon of crisis meetings.

The three remaining ministers of the Free Democrats resigned in response, leading to the downfall of the government coalition. Scholz is expected to lead the country with a minority government, but the opposition is calling for an immediate no-confidence vote.

But early Thursday, Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the Free Democrats unexpectedly took back last night's resignation and told reporters that after talking to Scholz, he had decided to stay on as minister and leave the party instead.

Lindner will receive his certificate of dismissal from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday afternoon and, to ensure a smooth transition, a successor will likely be named right after. German news agency dpa reported that Jörg Kukies, an economic adviser to Scholz, will become the next finance minister.

The posts of the research and justice ministers who resigned may also be filled Thursday, dpa reported.

Scholz announced late Wednesday that he would seek a vote of confidence on Jan. 15 that he said might lead to an early election as soon as March — which otherwise would have been be due next September.

Scholz had accused Lindner of breaching his trust and publicly calling for a fundamentally different economic policy, including what the chancellor said would be tax cuts worth billions for a few top earners while at the same time cutting pensions for all retirees.

“That is not decent,” Scholz said.

Scholz's left-leaning Social Democrats will now effectively lead a minority government with the remaining coalition partner, the environmentalist Greens.

The chancellor announced late Wednesday that he would reach out to the leader of the biggest opposition leader in parliament, Friedrich Merz from the center-right Christian Democrats, to confer on possible ways of strengthening the economy and defense, and passing important legislation through parliament.

But Merz on Thursday vehemently rejected Scholz's plan to wait to hold a vote of confidence until January.

“The coalition no longer has a majority in the German Bundestag, and we therefore call on the chancellor (...) to call a vote of confidence immediately, or at the latest by the beginning of next week.”

“We simply cannot afford to have a government without a majority in Germany for several months now, and then campaign for several more months, and then possibly conduct coalition negotiations for several weeks," Merz added.

He said he was planning to meet with Scholz later Thursday to push for a quick vote of confidence.

Since Scholz's government doesn't have a majority in parliament any longer, he would likely lose the vote. In that scenario, Germany's president could dissolve parliament within 21 days and an early election could then be held as soon as January.

“During these 21 days, we will have enough time to find out whether there are any issues that we may have to decide on together,” Merz said, offering his party's cooperation with the minority government. "We are, of course, prepared to hold talks (..) we are also prepared to take responsibility for our country.”

Indeed, pushing through new legislation and plugging the billion-euro hole in the 2025 budget won’t become easier for Scholz’s Social Democrats and the Greens as their government no longer has a majority in parliament. But Scholz has said his government needed that time to pass important legislation.

Achim Wambach from the Leibniz Center for European Economic Research cast doubt that a prolonged period with a minority government would help Germany's economy get back on track.

“Germany’s problems are too big to tolerate political gridlock," the analyst said.

“The government set out to reconcile the transformation towards climate neutrality with economic growth and social security,” the analyst said in a statement. “It has not lived up to this claim. The economy is stagnating and investments are failing to materialize.”

“This daunting task was compounded by geo-economic tensions: wars in Europe and the Middle East as well as economically damaging interventions through tariffs and national subsidy policies,” he added. “ The election of Donald Trump has exacerbated these problems. Europe must do more for its security and will have to reckon with increased tariffs.”

The collapse of the coalition came after weeks of disputes among the coalition partners over ways to boost the country’s ailing economy.

Lindner's pro-business Free Democrats had rejected tax increases or changes to Germany’s strict self-imposed limits on running up debt. Scholz’s Social Democrats and the Greens wanted to see major state investment and rejected the Free Democrats’ proposals to cut welfare programs.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks to participants at the Deutsche Telekom AG forum, in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, from left, joins Bijan Djir-Sarai, Free Democratic Party Secretary General, and Christian Dürr, Chairman of the Free Democratic Party parliamentary group, for a press statement after his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in Berlin, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP)

Parts of the Reichstag building with the Bundestag and the Paul Löbe House in Berlin's government district are reflected in the Spree at night, early Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner, right, gets into his limousine in front of the Reichstag building after his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and a parliamentary group meeting in Berlin, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Christoph Soeder/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner makes a press statement following his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor in Berlin, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner makes a press statement following his dismissal by the Federal Chancellor in Berlin, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a statement after a meeting with government leaders in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks in Berlin, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaves a statement after a meeting with government leaders in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)