The new US administration will have direct consequences for Europe. Beyond the right-wing's enthusiasm and the left’s disenchantment, the return of Donald Trump exacerbates issues that should have been long since addressed.
Standing as the head of a supranational power, it is inexplicable that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has not made a genuine effort to bring together leaders of the world’s largest countries to bridge urgent divides like climate change and ongoing conflict. Her failure to do so risks making the European Union irrelevant in geopolitics and letting others take centre stage.
President-elect Trump’s actions risk sidelining the EU before he even steps foot in the Oval Office. Bilateral calls between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin have already begun.
Trump has appointed a general to begin dialogue with Moscow, revisiting a Cold War-era Republican motto, “peace through strength.” These talks have so far made no effort to involve von der Leyen and the EU. Instead, they represent a strongman approach to foreign affairs, underscoring the EU’s lack of global import.
This is a failure on the EU’s part. The EU cannot remain indifferent to global affairs while our values of freedom and democracy are trampled. If we do not initiate diplomatic efforts to achieve ceasefires for current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the US will intervene on its own terms — driven by economic interests, not a genuine desire for peace.
The EU must be clearer and more coordinated in its approach to conflict, particularly in Ukraine. Whilst Von der Leyen’s approach insists that Russia can be defeated on the battlefield, I take the opposite, albeit minority, view. The only way to stop Ukraine’s destruction and the killing of hundreds of thousands of people is through negotiation.
To achieve a coordinated approach, the EU must adopt a common strategy on conflict, particularly since Trump's second term could throw NATO into doubt. Even if Trump maintains a US commitment to the Euro-Atlantic alliance, it is clear that Trump does not consider the EU as a partner, even when it comes to peace negotiations for a war raging on our doorstep.
Other issues, like climate change and immigration, pose central challenges, and Trump’s positions are clear. He denies climate change, opposes phasing out fossil fuels and advocates for strict immigration policies, including mass deportations. These stances strengthen like-minded forces across Europe and give clout to views held by a loud minority.
With a collective European sense of awareness of the key issues facing our bloc and the ability to transcend national interests, we can return to the common values that allowed us to rebuild and unite a global order after the Second World War.
Governing these changes does not have to come at the cost of these values. Rather, it offers us the opportunity to create a real alternative to the madness that seems to invade the world.