How a US-EU trade deal would bolster democratic values and the global economy
- Heightened US-EU cooperation will be less about containing others than repositioning the international order around the democratic values and open market rules that have enabled Asia and the global economy to prosper
Of all the foreign policy challenges facing US President-elect Joe Biden, none will be more consequential than a revitalisation of the transatlantic partnership. One of the best ways to do that is with a massive trade deal with the European Union.
These are not ordinary times, though. A comprehensive US-EU trade deal would go a long way in helping reset transatlantic relations when the world is desperate for new economic and moral leadership. It would also represent one of the most concrete expressions of the foreign policy vision Biden outlined during his campaign.
In numerous statements and speeches, he called for the return of democracy and human rights as a major focus of US foreign policy. In July last year, he said he would “invite my fellow democratic leaders to put strengthening democracy back on the global agenda” and has called for a global summit for democracy.