After the shock of
the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s election as
President of the United States in 2016, this will be a decisive year for
Europe. Upcoming parliamentary elections in France, Germany, the
Netherlands, and possibly Italy will decide whether the European Union
will hold together, or whether it will disintegrate under the
neo-nationalist wave sweeping the West.
Meanwhile, the Brexit
negotiations will begin in earnest, providing a glimpse of the future
of the EU-UK relationship. And Trump’s inauguration on January 20 may
someday be remembered as a watershed moment for Europe.
Judging by Trump’s
past statements about Europe and its relationship with the US, the EU
should be preparing for some profound shocks. The incoming US president,
an exponent of the new nationalism, does not believe in European
integration.
Read moeEurope Needs Franco-German Action To Project Power