Washington, D.C. — A new report from the Center for American Progress urges the United States to revive and rebuild its alliance with Europe by fully embracing the European Union and working closely with its allies to create a powerful bulwark against the rising tide of authoritarianism.
The report notes that President Donald Trump has abandoned America’s traditional global leadership role, taking a hostile approach toward Europe. His administration has treated the European Union more like an adversary than an ally and shown himself to be one of the gravest threats to the trans-Atlantic alliance since the Second World War. But the report warns that the collapse or unraveling of the European Union would be a geopolitical disaster for the United States.
“A renewed partnership between the United States and Europe can withstand a rising authoritarian tide,” said Max Bergmann, author of the report and senior fellow at CAP. “The United States needs Europe to return to the world’s stage as a strong geopolitical player and voice for liberal values. For Europe to assert itself globally, it needs to do so as one—as a union.”
It is important to start thinking now about how to best repair, rebuild, and reinvigorate the alliance after a Trump presidency, the report says. America needs a new approach toward Europe that embraces Europe’s transformation and that unequivocally supports the European Union. The United States should fully support an expanded EU role when it comes to collective defense capabilities, foreign policy, and economic policy.
The report recommends several actions that the United States can take to revive this relationship:
- Use the United Kingdom as a model to pursue a special relationship with the European Union
- Undo the damage of the Trump administration by rejoining the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement, halting the trade war with Europe, and reaffirming support for arms control agreements
- Use U.S. diplomatic influence to bolster European integration and empower the European Union
- Support the formation of a robust EU foreign and defense capability and simultaneously bolster NATO
- Forge common U.S.-EU approaches to address the challenge posed by rising authoritarianism from states such as Russia and China
- Strengthen the economic partnership with the European Union
- Ally with the European Union to address other urgent global issues such as climate change and the migration challenge
Read the report: “Embrace the Union: A New Progressive Approach for Reviving the Trans-Atlantic Alliance” by Max Bergmann
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.