French PM Manuel Valls says 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 the process next year.

Europeans are also watching and waiting to see how their situation 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.

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 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 party could win, Mr Valls replied: “It’s possible”.

“This means that the balance of politics would change completely,” he said, adding a warning of the “danger presented by the extreme right”.

His words come as leaders from the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and France prepare to meet in the German capital later this week.

Barack Obama arrived on Wednesday night for what will be the last leg of his final European tour as US President, hoping to ease fears about the future of the trans-Atlantic partnership under Mr Trump.

In a joint article, he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed for ongoing cooperation to fight climate change, promote free trade and to ensure collective defence within NATO.

Writing in the business magazine Wirtschaftswoche, they said: “These values of democracy, justice and freedom form the foundation of our successful economies.

“We owe it to our industries and our peoples – indeed to the global community – to broaden and deepen our cooperation.”

Mrs Merkel and Mr Obama have developed a strong partnership during the time in their respective offices.

Mr Obama’s biggest rally during his 2008 political campaign was in Berlin, where 200,000 fans cheered his call for a world without nuclear weapons.

But many Germans say they are now worried about what a Trump presidency will mean for their country and for Europe. 

According to a survey by public broadcaster ZDF, two out of three say they fear ties with Washington will suffer as a result of the Republican’s victory. news.sky.com