Weak, distracted and unprepared? How prepared France, Germany and the rest of the continent really are for his return to power

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.As Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in as president today, Europe’s leaders are bracing for the first batch of executive orders and their potential impact on the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe's military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more investment in home-grown defence industries.

Trump has promised to push for peace talks in Ukraine within six months but has criticized Europe's lack of defense spending.

French president Emmanuel Macron has called on Europe to “wake up” and spend more on defence, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power. Mr Macron referred to expected changes in Washington’s foreign policies especially regarding the war in Ukraine and said this is an “opportunity for a European strategic wake-up call”.

Donald Trump's presidency in the United States will help set off a second wave of massive rightwing political change in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday, launching what he called an offensive to "occupy" Brussels.

Donald Trump has assumed the office of President of the United States, sparking a wave of comments and political forecasts. Viktor Orban, Hungary's Prime Minister, predicts significant changes in international relations and an increase in the right wing's importance in Europe,

Donald Trump has assumed the office of the President of the United States, sparking a wave of commentary and political predictions. Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, foresees significant changes in international relations and an increase in the importance of the right-wing in Europe,