Most of Europe is happy that Donald Trump is no longer president of the United States, but won’t kowtow to President Joe Biden prior to his visit. According to a survey published by the European Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, only one-fifth of our continent considers America an ally. With astonishing effectiveness, Trump destroyed the international standing that his predecessors had built since World War I, and if he had had time, he would have undoubtedly dismantled the allied institutions created by World War II. Not only did Trump do President Vladimir Putin a huge favor, in return a thousand times for Moscow’s help with his election, but he also did a big favor for our prime minister, who lives off of our wages and salaries. Anyone can continue to question why the U.S. is still meddling in our affairs. It has enough problems at home, it should deal with that.
The beams from only the most important lighthouse of democracy are flickering. Although politicians usually like to use their foreign influence to strengthen domestic positions, the opposite is now the case: Biden first has to convince America of the benefits of liberal parliamentarism, reestablish the position of the United States in the world and, as he promised, and restore the force of democracy. With the tables turned for once, Europe should help America so that one day it can return the gesture.
European leaders must not forget the lesson of the last five years. They must not take the American safety net, nor the moral and ideological support for their political systems, for granted. There will be no shortage of nice words, but this time it’s not enough. If ever there was a time to stand as equal partners, it is now. To do this, however, they must ignore those who stand opposed.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.