Damage that is difficult to repair

Trump and his representatives spoiled America's relationship with Europe

• Trump is making no secret of his feelings about tearing up the European Union.

  Reuters

• Nigel Farage is the most advocate of European leaders to break up the European Union.

  Getty

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It is no secret that the US President, Donald Trump, expresses his discomfort with the European Union.

Over the past four years, he has spoken positively of Brexit, and claimed that the European Union was created in order to "benefit from the United States".

So it is not surprising that in many European countries, many American ambassadors have behaved in ways that are not entirely diplomatic in the traditional sense.

A few days ago, the US ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra hosted an event for the Forum for Democracy party in his embassy, ​​a far-right anti-immigration, anti-European Union party that is gaining popularity and momentum in this country.

The Dutch magazine "De Groene Amsterdam", which was the first to publish the news, described that the event was aimed at collecting donations for the party.

General discussion

A US State Department spokesman said the event was not fundraising, but rather a "public discussion and question and answer session" with the party.

The spokesman added that, since his coming to the Netherlands, Hoekstra has hosted 15 such events in the town hall with eight different parties, indicating that this event with the Forum for Democracy party, was not unusual.

However, many Dutch do not agree with this claim.

“The embassy’s hosting of a political event, fundraising, or otherwise, can be considered political support from the United States for a certain point of view, because diplomacy usually means,” said former Dutch parliamentarian and director of international policy at the Stanford Center for Electronic Policy. "Interactions between governments, not promoting certain viewpoints, and giving the impression that there are political allies."

"The Trump administration has demonstrated, time and time again, that its allies are made up of skeptical Europeans in the European Union, such as the leader of the British Brexit Party, Nigel Farage, and the Forum for Democracy," she added.

Hoekstra is just one of many divisive ambassadors Trump has appointed in Europe who appear to be undermining transatlantic relations, angering their hosts, and representing Trump's personal interests in Europe.

Tyson Parker, a former official in the Office of European and Asian Affairs at the US State Department, says: “Europe has been a traditional place to which those appointed by the US president go, but usually under the cover that they represent the US government.” And he goes on: “What we have seen, since 2016, are people who represent Trump and his personal interests, not the United States. ”

And media outlets recently reported that Trump's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Woody Johnson, is under investigation after allegations that he used his position to press for the British Open Golf Championship, on one of Trump's golf courses.

When asked about the specific allegations, Johnson did not deny them.

After publishing a report in the "CNN" news network in this regard, Johnson tweeted: "I have followed the rules and ethical requirements, which are required by my job at all times."

Trump said he "never asked Woody Johnson to do so."

Johnson, too, was open in his support for Brexit, suggesting that it represents an opportunity for the United Kingdom and the United States to get closer, claiming that this would strengthen Britain's position when dealing with the European Union.

The same pattern is in Germany

This pattern has also been observed in Germany, where the former US ambassador, Richard Grenell, entered the region that diplomats have traditionally avoided, such as his tweet that “German companies operating in Iran should end their operations immediately,” and that within hours of receiving His diplomatic duties.

Trump's hard-line stance towards Iran remained difficult to swallow, especially for the European Union, and difficult for Europeans to accept, as the nuclear deal, from which Trump originally withdrew, was signed under the auspices of the European Union, and it is the Union's biggest victory on the geopolitical stage.

Grenell also gave an interview to the American right-wing media network, Breitbart, where he said he wanted to see "empowering other conservatives across Europe."

Given the diplomat’s role in dealing with any government that represents the country in which he is located, it is extremely unusual for him to speak openly about his political preferences.

But under Trump's presidency, the United States has strengthened its relationship with the European Union, which Europeans consider to be a delinquent state threatening the bloc's unity.

In particular, Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during his visit to the White House last year.

Trump said at the time: "Urban has done a tremendous amount of work in so many different aspects. He has been very respectful and respected all over Europe, but maybe, like me, it's a little controversial, and that's a good thing."

It is worth noting that Orban has spent the last decade of his presidency invading his country's courts, academic institutions, the central bank, and the press.

The European Union is currently investigating these attacks, and the Union can punish Orban by withdrawing some of his rights at the European Union level.

A good understanding

Brussels understood Trump's message well, and a senior EU official asked: “Are there any relations remaining between the European Union and the United States?

The official political line is that no matter what differences there are, there is more that unites us, but if you look at the matter correctly, there are only divisions.

And the diplomat adds: “In the Trump era, it seems that the Americans never miss any opportunity to try to undermine the European Union.

There is a growing feeling that we simply cannot rely on the United States in the same way as before. ”

Internal discussion

"Trump and his diplomats have given the impression that they want to punish the European Union, for one reason or another," a German diplomat told CNN.

And he continues: "There is a huge internal debate about whether we can cooperate with the United States anymore, even if the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, wins, because America has become very unreliable."

This diplomat believes that this deterioration in relations began before Trump took office, and says: “From my experience, many young politicians, now, in Washington have their view of foreign policy, which was shaped by the events of September 11th and the war on terror, not the war. World Two, and they no longer care about Germany, or Europe anymore ».

Parker explains that this new view of the United States has changed the type of relationship that Europeans want, now, from the transatlantic partnership.

“The transition from Bush to Obama to Trump has strengthened the European view that America can revolve heavily every eight years, and the question is, how do we protect ourselves from such fluctuations when the next president is Kid Rock?”, Referring to Mughni American Rap, Kid Rock.

And the EU official says quiet minds, in Brussels, are already trying to answer this question.

“From the moment we knew Trump was going to be president, we saw the time had come to be more independent in certain areas, such as: defense, and geopolitics.

And you can actually see how we take a completely different approach to China, Russia and Iran, unlike the United States. ”

None of this means that the European Union is seeking to distance itself from the United States, but many now feel that it is not a bad time for Europe to start thinking more about itself and its place in the world.

Relationship Repair

"I hope the relationship will be mended, of course," she says.

The transatlantic relationship is strong.

But the ability of the two sides to work together, whether bilaterally or as a united front on the world stage, has been undermined by the Trump administration. ”

"What we have already done is that we have made the issue of the European Union more independent and active from a geopolitical standpoint, and a much higher priority."

For many in Brussels, the crux of the problem is the growing sense that maintaining or strengthening the transatlantic alliance is not a priority for the United States, compared to U.S. interests elsewhere in the world.

There is a perception that Washington now wants a more transactional relationship with Brussels, which would eventually make the Europeans acquiesce in the US's priorities regarding trade and financing of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

For a continent that has for decades relied on its older brother, as it has recovered from some of the bloodiest wars in history, this is an alarming new reality.

The

- During the Trump era, Americans never miss an opportunity to try to undermine the European Union, and take radical measures in areas of common interest, without consulting with Europeans, such as: Iran, and moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

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