It is firstly a good thing insofar as Donald Trump’s national populism served as a moral validation for several members of the European Union such as Hungary or Poland, and even some states like Slovenia, whose prime minister hastened to congratulate Donald Trump on his re-election even though the counting of the ballots was far from over. Biden’s victory therefore benefits, in Europe, the advocates of the rule of law and liberal democracy as opposed to the proponents of illiberal democracy, of which Trump had been an objective ally.
This election is an additional unifying factor in the final and extremely tense negotiation between the European Union and the British, inasmuch as the pressure is reversed. The prospect of a rapid free trade agreement between the United States and Great Britain becomes increasingly unlikely, and a majority of British Conservatives will increase pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to be more conciliatory and realistic regarding the European Union in the final stages of negotiations over exiting the single market.
Lastly, it is good news because Joe Biden is an advocate of “old-fashioned” multilateralism. This is at the heart of the strategy for defending the Europeans’ commercial, security, economic, geopolitical, or environmental interests.
In terms of climate, the United States should once again demonstrate its commitment to the 2015 Paris climate agreements, and cooperation within the G7 to address the health crisis and its economic and social consequences will once again be possible. The United States should also rejoin the nuclear agreements on Iran and reclaim its place in the World Health Organization. Finally, we could return to the status quo ante concerning NATO, which could notably contribute to easing relations between Turkey and the European Union.
America needs strong allies, but its natural reflex, contrary to the teachings of Sun Tzu’s art of war, is to transform its allies into vassals.
Too often, Europeans have the temptation to submit. It is this vicious circle that must be broken in the interest of both the United States and the Europeans.
