Europe at risk of collapse says French Prime Minister

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said he fears that Europe is at risk of breaking apart. Mr Valls was speaking at an economic forum in Berlin, where he told his audience that France and Germany “must be strong” and give European projects a new foundation. His speech comes as the European Union looks towards a bloc without Britain, which in June voted to leave and is expected to formally begin this process next year. Europe is also watching and waiting to see how the region might change once Donald Trump takes office as US president in January, following a campaign in which he said European countries should take more responsibility for their own defence and that he would quit some free trade agreements.

This means that the balance of politics would change completely.

Manuel Valls, French Prime Minister

Meanwhile, political parties such as Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Front in France are gaining ground and could change the face of politics in their country - and the continent. Mr Valls, prime minister since March, 2014, said that Ms Le Pen stands a chance of winning next year’s presidential election in France, boosted in part by Mr Trump’s shock win in the US. In response to a question from his audience asking whether the popular candidate of the anti-immigration National Front could win, he replied: “It’s possible”.