British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “warmly congratulated Joe Biden on his historic tenure as the 46th President of the United States” and said he hoped to work “closely with the new administration as we defeat Covid-19 and we recovered from the situation better. pandemic”.
Identified as an ideological ally of former President Donald Trump before the coronavirus pandemic, Boris has taken different paths on issues such as health, the environment and multilateralism, and is now trying to get closer to the new American management. The United States is one of the main partners of the United Kingdom and the countries have started to negotiate a trade deal under the previous leadership, which has increased in importance after Brexit.
In this morning’s statement, Boris cited as common goals, in addition to the fight against Sars-Cov-2, the fight against climate change, the promotion of democracy and the areas of defense and security. The British government is hoping to revive relations with the Democratic administration before the next G7 meeting, scheduled for June in the Cornwall region in southwest England.
“I look forward to welcoming you to Carbis Bay for the G7 and Glasgow [Escócia] to the [reunião sobre o clima] COP, as we join forces to protect our planet. It is only through international cooperation that we can truly overcome the common challenges we face, ”said Boris.
The realignment of the United States with global environmental protection policies, such as the Paris Agreement against climate change, is one of the most anticipated consequences of the change of the American presidency across Europe.
The European Union has approved the choice of former Secretary John Kerry as the lead on the issue and expects Biden to adopt policies similar to his. Similar plans include a commitment to net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and the possibility of creating a carbon tax at the United States’ borders, to discourage competition from products that harm the environment.
This week, a conversation between Kerry and Frans Timmermans, EU vice president for the Green Deal (the bloc’s environmental strategy) is expected.
The European bloc is also awaiting a decision on the dispute between Boeing and Airbus, which should be one of the first international trade issues to occupy Biden’s team. Under Trump, the United States imposed tariffs on $ 7.5 billion of European imports, including Airbus planes. The EU then accused the US of illegal subsidies to Boeing and imposed tariffs on $ 4 billion of US imports, including planes.
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Tuesday (19) that the two sides would work to remove or suspend tariffs. Dombrovskis also expressed optimism about the change of government in the United States: “Biden is a great defender of multilateralism and international alliances”.
However, optimism must be accompanied by patience, since the new American president has made it clear in his campaign that his priority will be to strengthen American industry. Bold moves towards trade liberalization are not expected in the first few months.
Another area of the European Union that welcomes Biden’s arrival is that of competition and digital politics, bombarded by Trump primarily for attempts to regulate and tax America’s tech giants. The former president threatened a trade war, especially against France.
As leaders greet Joe Biden, European citizens are cautiously hoping for the new leadership, according to a study by the European Council on Foreign Relations, which surveyed 15,000 Europeans in 11 countries. More than 60% say that after Trump, the American political system is damaged, but 49% believe that it will be possible to remedy the internal divisions (for 31%, the polarization will remain strong, and the others do not know it).