The European Union and multilateralism during the Trump presidency

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the European Union has been focussed on strengthening its position in the international scene, specifically focussing on its external relations with the aim of trying to enhance its coherence, consistency, and coordination. Since the end of World War Two in 1945, bilateral relations and negotiations have dominated international diplomacy, though in recent years there has been a shift towards multilateralism, mainly due to globalisation, the further development of the international system, and emerging global challenges which increased the need for states to combine efforts in order to tackle them. Through the 2003 European Security Strategy, we see the Union pushing towards a more specific approach to international relations, using multilateralism as a guiding concept and placing it towards the forefront of its agenda. This was followed by the 2016 Global Strategy which continued to place multilateralism at the heart of the Union’s external relations. Over the past decade, the European Union has been facing a variety of challenges and crises, with the election of Donald Trump as 45th president of the United States intensifying existing issues being faced by the Union. Trump’s renowned ‘America First’ slogan portrayed the Presidents’ approach to foreign policy, this based on a nationalistic and unilateral nature. Trump found no issue in disregarding any traditions tied to the transatlantic alliance and historical agreements. From withdrawing the United States from several multilateral agreements and organisations such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the United Nations Human Rights Council; to criticising a number of international entities such as the United Nations, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, World Trade Organization, and the Group of Seven, amongst others; the actions taken by the Trump administration impacted the multilateral system in a variety of ways. Using a qualitative research approach based mostly on secondary analysis, together with desk research as a methodological tool, this study attempts to identify the extent to which the European Union and multilateralism were affected by the dissonance with the United States, specifically during the Trump administration. It shall also attempt to identify why the Union continued to support and uphold multilateralism in the face of President Trump’s criticisms.