March 01, 2020
The Building Blocks of a Progressive Transatlantic Vision
As the US presidential elections in November 2019 quickly approach, transatlanticists in the United States and Europe are trying to decipher what the next four years may bring for the US-European partnership. A second term for Donald Trump means that the difficulties that have plagued the relationship for the last three years will almost certainly continue. A Democrat entering office, on the other hand, could provide an opportunity for a clean slate. No matter who ultimately claims victory at the polls, one thing is certain: The US-European relationship needs a makeover; a progressive vision that places new priorities at the forefront of transatlantic cooperation; one that lays the foundation for the two sides to jointly tackle the most important issues of our time. But what exactly, would this vision look like?
First and foremost, a progressive vision means elevating the status of the US-European Union (EU) relationship. For decades, the foundation of the US-European partnership has been the NATO alliance, which has over-militarized transatlantic relations and prioritized a narrow vision of security and defense. The two sides often get sidetracked debating issues like European defense spending and how to counter Russia. While these issues are important, they are by no means the most important. There other aspects of today's geopolitical landscape that will prove to be more consequential in the years to come; issues that NATO does not exist to tackle, and which, instead, will require deeper and more meaningful cooperation between the US and the EU. At the top of the list are climate change, a rising China, and a recommitment to human rights.
Read the full essay in the Heinrich Böll Foundation's Multilateralism 2.0 compendium.
More from CNAS
-
Sharper: Russia and the Axis of Upheaval
Commentary
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine served as a dramatic catalyst for strengthening the global axis of upheaval. To sustain its war effort, Russia has imported Iranian weapons a...
By Charles Horn
-
Russia’s Wartime Economy: Resilient or on the Edge of Collapse?
Podcast
Since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Russia's economy has proved to be robust despite sanctions, inflation and labour shortages. But how long can it last? Charles Pelleg...
By Richard Connolly
-
Friends with Benefits: How Russia’s Opportunistic Partnerships Stymie Nonproliferation Efforts
Commentary
To respond to Russia’s increasing disregard for the nonproliferation regime, the United States and its allies must raise the costs of violation....
By Nicholas Lokker
-
Can Ukraine and Europe Win Alone? with Gustav Gressel and Franz-Stefan Gady
Podcast
The Trump administration began negotiations with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia last week, and its exclusion of both Kyiv and its European backers from the table cast doubt...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
