After a first Trump presidency, Europe is better prepared for a second – but may not be as well equipped to negotiate with him if he returns to the White House in next week’s U.S. presidential election. Comes to this conclusion a Washington Post report (WaPo) about the political preparations that are taking place behind the scenes in European capitals. According to the report, contingency plans in the areas of security and trade are currently being drawn up.
The WaPo states that during Donald Trump’s first presidency, then-Chancellor Angela Merkel was “Europe’s decision-maker”. The political landscape on the continent looks very different today: France’s Emmanuel Macron is “weakened”, Olaf Scholz (SPD) is “enmeshed in coalition struggles and confronted with a resurgence of the extreme right”. The American daily quotes CDU leader Friedrich Merz as saying that Germany and Europe “will be on their own” if a president is elected in America “for the second time who declares NATO superfluous and is no longer prepared to Keeping security promises.”
Washington Post: During Donald Trump’s first presidency, Angela Merkel was “Europe’s decision-maker.”Saul Loeb/AFP
Washington Post: Europe’s concerns ‘focus overwhelmingly on Trump’
For its report, WaPo interviewed 15 politicians, diplomats and experts from Europe. The consensus is that, regardless of whether Trump or his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris wins the race, there will be a “reality check of Europe’s dependence on the United States.” “But European officials’ concerns are overwhelmingly focused on Trump,” it said. “A rapid response task force at EU headquarters is primarily focused on the strategy for his return, diplomats said.”
In a conversation with the newspaper, Defense Ministry spokesman Michael Stempfle said that regardless of the election outcome, it can be assumed that the US’s focus will increasingly be on the Indo-Pacific in the future. “One thing is clear: we are not sitting here like a rabbit in front of a snake,” says Stempfle. “Europeans will have to do even more to ensure their security.”
Will there be a trade war? Germany “particularly vulnerable”
During his first presidency, Trump imposed tariffs on European steel and aluminum and now promises that Europeans will “pay a heavy price” for selling “millions and millions” of cars in the United States. “Germany, a frequent target of Trump, appears to be particularly vulnerable,” the newspaper said. “Europe’s largest economy is stagnating, the auto industry is already talking about unprecedented cuts and closures. And the prospect of a trade war with Trump has heightened recession fears here.”
Ukraine: Europe pushed through aid packages ahead of a possible Trump victory
The policy Trump will pursue regarding Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, which he says he could end within a day, represents another big question mark. “To oppose a possible U-turn by the White House on Ukraine “European officials have insisted on pushing through aid packages before the November election,” the American newspaper points out.
Washington Post: Europe pushed through Ukraine aid packages, increased military spending.Kay Nietfeld/dpa
In addition, European countries have increased their military spending to the highest level since the Cold War, partly in response to Trump’s previous accusations against NATO members that have not followed through on their commitments to increase military spending. According to WaPo, other factors include Russia’s threats and the need for Europe to be less dependent on the USA in the area of security.
Washington Post loses hundreds of thousands of subscribers
The Washington Post caused a stir last week after owner Jeff Bezos decided not to endorse the newspaper in the race for the White House. The decision around ten days before the presidential election also caused criticism that the Amazon founder had caved in to Donald Trump out of fear for his company. Bezos assured that he was not pursuing any personal interests at WaPo. Rather, the reality is that many people consider the media to be biased. And that’s why from now on the newspaper should basically no longer make election recommendations.
Reporters at the newspaper reported after the decision on Friday that a recommendation for current Vice President Harris had already been written – but Bezos had decided against publishing it. According to media reports, the decision resulted in the newspaper losing at least 200,000 – or about a tenth of its subscribers.
