-OpEd-
The inauguration of Joe Biden opens a new chapter in the history of the United States, one filled with hopes that may quickly prove to be excessive. A new “New Deal” promises a shift in public health, diplomacy, and welfare for the American people.
It is also an opportunity to repair the historic bridges linking the two sides of the Atlantic. The next few days will be marked by actions of major symbolic importance: Washington’s return to the Paris Climate Accord, a reconciliation with the World Health Organization, and likely, the revival of nuclear talks with Iran. Yet it would be a trap for us to believe that this means the return to a time when America and Europe were working together in defense of freedom and democracy.
Democrats who make it to the White House don’t necessarily play into the hands of the Europeans.
From a European point of view, the hope inspired by Biden’s inauguration Wednesday is just as dangerous as the blissful romanticism that swirled here with Barack Obama’s arrival 12 years ago. First of all, Democrats who make it to the White House don’t necessarily play into the hands of the Europeans. It was a Democratic president, Bill Clinton, who refused to ratify the Kyoto climate agreement and opposed the creation of an International Criminal Court. Barack Obama derailed an allied intervention in Syria.
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Biden street art in Barcelona — Photo: Albert Llop/NurPhoto/ZUMA
In some ways, we may even miss Donald Trump who, for his own personal reasons, attacked the disproportionate power of the Big Tech companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon, which aligned with Europe’s interest in reducing their powers. It is unlikely that Biden will join this fight, even if they are now the backbone of America’s global domination.
We should not expect too much from the new president. The America of 2021 is not the America of the 2000s. The transatlantic relationship has reached the end of an era. The historic pillars of the international order have crumbled, and French President Emmanuel Macron already pronounced NATO “brain dead” a year ago.
Europeans will need to be particularly determined to grab the attention of Biden, who already has so much work to do domestically.
The Old World must propose a new transatlantic treaty that can seduce this new administration, around such crucial shared challenges as China’s rising power, climate change, foreign investment monitoring, and industrial sovereignty. Washington will only listen if we speak with a single, unified European voice — and we offer them real value. Otherwise, our Inauguration Day hopes will quickly disappear.
