Sascha Engel says Europeans must look to their own crises before pointing the finger at the US, while Carolyn Kirton recalls Boris Johnson fawning over Donald Trump
Regarding Joe Biden’s inauguration, I believe it is necessary for Europeans to keep three things in mind as we watch this momentous event. First, we would do well not to forget that the outgoing president is not an aberration in American politics, both contemporary and historical. Not only can a direct line be drawn from Karl Rove’s public denial of President Obama’s 2012 victory in Ohio, or indeed from the Fox network to the Parler app, but Donald Trump also stands before us as the latest iteration of former presidents such as Andrew Jackson, Herbert Hoover, and Ronald Reagan. The essence of his movement is deeply ingrained, and remains so.
Second, even under a Biden presidency, US interests will diverge from those of Europe. There is no reason to doubt Biden’s commitment to multilateral approaches. But what shape these approaches will take, and just how much they will reflect Europe’s policies, cannot yet be said. “Pivoting to Asia”, as Obama had put it, does seem to remain an American priority.