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Crisis across the Atlantic. Preserving the Europe-US link

    • Brussels
    • 20 June 2018

          The Brussels event of June 20-22 (the Transatlantic Strategic Dialogue) was the crucial step to consolidate the link between the US Strategy Group and its European counterpart. The Dialogue will continue as a regular feature, gathering the two Strategy Groups at least once a year. The next such meeting has been scheduled for the end of January, 2019, in the US.

          This form of “track two diplomacy”, behind closed doors, has become all the more important as we now find ourselves at a delicate juncture for Transatlantic relations, with growing tensions, differences of opinions and potentially serious divisions (both across the Atlantic and within Europe).

          The host of challenges confronting the US and Europe – which in various sectors are turning into a full blown crisis – has been thoroughly discussed at the Brussels meeting, with particular focus on nationalist populism and the future of democracy (also in light of news manipulation and disinformation), new divides among European countries (including Brexit’s implications), a vast array of security risks and threats (including nuclear proliferation), trade tensions and the climate agenda, chronic instability in the Middle East. Both reasons for grave concern and areas of persistent common interest were identified by the participants.

          An ad hoc visit to the new NATO Headquarters was the occasion for an in depth conversation with high level officials and national representatives on the upcoming NATO Summit and the future of the Alliance. A highly informal meeting with Federica Mogherini provided an opportunity to better analyze the complex European dimension of the Transatlantic equation.

          Two main messages emerged in a very stark fashion: first, that beyond short-term factors, there are structural changes underway which require a deep rethink of the Transatlantic link on partly new foundations; second, that Europe and the US are now operating in a rapidly shifting global context where ambitious and “illiberal” powers strive to rewrites the international rules of the game. All the more reason for making a collective effort to rethink and relaunch the Transatlantic partnership.