Repairing the transatlantic rift will be tricky
Donald Trump has left a lot to fix
TWO YEARS ago at the Munich Security Conference, an annual gabfest for buffs of geopolitics, Vice-President Mike Pence delivered to his largely European audience a stinging address, full of rebukes and America First swagger. On the same stage a few hours later, Joe Biden offered a glimpse of a brighter future. “This too shall pass. We will be back,” he said. The election in November seemed to fulfil his prophecy. President-elect Biden has vowed to restore the alliances damaged by Donald Trump. He has stuffed his incoming administration with familiar faces from the Obama years. As he prepares to take office on January 20th, Europeans are again daring to dream.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Putting it back together again”
Europe January 9th 2021
From the January 9th 2021 edition
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Emmanuel Macron shows off the gloriously restored Notre Dame
Five years after it was gutted by fire, the cathedral is more beautiful than ever
Ursula von der Leyen has a new doctrine for handling the hard right
The boss of the European Commission embarks on a second term
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare