The EU has to adapt to the reality that it can no longer rely on its overseas partner. Joe Biden’s victory will no longer correct this trend.
As Le Monde notes, a beautiful reunion of two close people who have survived a common tragedy is an unlikely prospect. This is how the French edition describes transatlantic relations. When Donald Trump took over the White House, the European Union was humiliated and disappointed. This led Europeans to an unprecedented collective awareness that it was time for Europe to rethink its place in the world.
For many years, the EU preferred to believe in the strength of its alliance with the United States, although transatlantic ties had long been in crisis. Even during Barack Obama’s presidency, Washington has made it its goal to spread influence in Asia, writes Le Monde. Donald Trump simply made this fact more emotional by insulting his partners.
A destructive policy of maximum pressure was growing, forcing the European Union to oppose U.S. intentions to extend the UN anti-Iranian sanctions in September 2020. This reaction revealed not only Europe’s readiness to resist, but also how isolated America has become.
Now that a decisive presidential race has unfolded in the USA, the EU countries are considering a further action plan. Firstly, France, Germany and the UK can use the time between elections and the new US president to restore the Iranian nuclear deal. At the same time, hopes for improving transatlantic relations are fading.
In September, Emmanuelle Macron called the USA an important ally of the EU. At the same time, he stressed that Europe should not repress Washington just because of its influence.
Europeans must understand that relations with the United States do not depend on people in power, said French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Bon. Thus, Joe Biden’s election victory will not end the crisis. On the contrary, it can prove how weak transatlantic ties have become by disappointing Europeans, says Le Monde.