Europe after Joe Biden’s Resignation. Any Democrat Better Than Donald Trump

It is crucial that Europe and the U.S. president have a partnership and relations based on mutual trust.

Any Democratic presidential candidate who increases the chances of defeating Donald Trump is good news for Europe — even if little is known about this candidate’s views on issues important to Europeans.

Foreign Policy Ideas

Kamala Harris became the likely Democratic presidential nominee after Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Harris is no stranger to the spotlight, having served as vice president alongside Biden for four years. But she has no experience in Congress nor has she ever been a state governor. Before Biden named her vice president, she served as California’s attorney general.

In this role, she did not need to have knowledge or views on international affairs. People who have met her at official events over the last four years, when she was already vice president, claim it is difficult to say anything about her foreign policy ideas. That would be a huge change when compared to Biden, who has been dealing with these issues for decades.

But all this is of secondary importance. For Europe, stopping Trump is crucial, because his quest to destroy American democracy would embolden populists in the democratic states of the EU who are dangerously teetering between democracy and dictatorship. But also because Trump is an isolationist who sees European values as evil. He relies only on the argument of force, and therefore he doesn’t understand the international order based on universally recognized institutions such as the U.N. or the World Trade Organization.

His approach to the economy is extremely protectionist. This is quite dangerous for Europe, which is built on free trade. As for the key geopolitical issue, namely the war in Ukraine, Trump has spoken many times; as we know, in his view, unconditional support for Kyiv is out of the question. He will, at best, seek peace on terms that are not favorable for Ukraine; and, in the worst-case scenario, that will leave Ukraine alone on the battlefield.

Voters’ Expectations

In this situation, democratic Europe’s hope for Harris or any other Democrat to win the election is understandable. Maybe Harris will be less keen to support Ukraine; she perhaps will be forced to provide greater protection for the interests of American companies. This would not be anything new, because such changes have already occurred under Biden. Let us recall, for example, the six-month delay in adopting a package of military assistance to Ukraine, as well as the Inflation Reduction Act, with its gigantic support for the American economy that violated principles of fair competition in the global market.

These are trends in the Democratic Party reflecting the expectations of American voters, and these changes must be taken into account. Europe must increasingly assert its geopolitical sovereignty; however, it is crucial that, in the process, it can count on a partnership with the U.S. based on mutual trust — and not be forced to cooperate with Vladimir Putin’s ally, who is hostile to Europe.