The European Union needs to stop “lecturing” other parts of the world and be more respectful towards its partners if it aims to combat the growing influence of Russia and China, European Council President Charles Michel has said.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Michel admitted that the bloc has become “convinced that we know what is right and what is wrong” and often fails to make an effort to understand why other countries may think otherwise.
EU must stop lecturing world – European Council president
He noted that in the EU there is a “reflex which is close to a form of lecture” when communicating with developing countries with which the bloc has signed agreements on strategic, trade or political cooperation.