The four years of Donald Trump’s presidency have seriously changed the world, transatlantic trust has been undermined, and it will be very difficult to fix the situation.
“Europeans fear that there is no longer a foreign policy consensus in the US. Each new administration can mean a completely new policy, and this is a nightmare”, – said Ivan Krastev, director of the Center for Liberal Strategies.
As noted by The New York Times, the Joe Biden administration, if he wins the elections, can provide the European Union with a handout in the form of a return to the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iranian nuclear deal and the START Treaty. Despite this, ideas about greater independence in this changed multipolar world are ripening in the European Union. The concept, voiced by Emmanuel Macron, is becoming more and more popular.
Against this background, Natalie Tocchi, director of the Italian Institute of International Relations, believes that Biden’s victory will do Europe more harm, as it will again force the Europeans to submit to the will of the United States “with their heads in the sand”.
In addition, Biden’s presidency will also mean the prospect of new commitments, in particular, in the Chinese direction. But after Trump, European countries will be wary of new deals with Washington, says Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“If you know that everything you do will last at most until the next election, you look at everything differently”, – the diplomat said.
Sociological research also shows that most Europeans are reluctant to take sides in the battle between Washington and Beijing. Europeans in general are increasingly showing disagreement with US policy.
“This is a healthier legacy left by Trump”, – said Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, director of the German Marshall Fund in Paris.