Part I
On July 7 and 8, IQLatino had the honor to attend the 25th celebration of the Spain-United States Forum. This is an annual meeting that brings together members and relevant figures from both nations for effective bilateralism and multilateralism. The forum brought together leaders and experts from the public and private sectors to address current issues of common interest in the economic, technological, political and cultural fields. Personalities such as Joseph Borrell (High Representative of the European Union), Nadia Calivino ( Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain), Xavier Becerra (United States Secretary of Health and Human Services), among others, participated in that important event. The speakers discussed the paradigm shift and the direct impacts of the Biden cabinet’s foreign policies with Spain and the European Union.
One of the main topics discussed was “Revitalizing Transatlantic Relations: Repairing Alliances and Sustaining Multilateralism”. The EU High Representative discussed the need to improve bilateralism, but at the same time defined the EU’s foreign policy in the coming years as one that allows it to act independently and promote its values and interests without submitting to pressures from the US or China. A term referred to as Strategic Autonomy: “the ability to decide for ourselves our values and interests with our own assessment of risk and opportunity.” The independence of the European Union before the world and its risks. Different states relate it to security problems (associated with NATO), but it goes far beyond that. He mentioned that the reasons for seeking strategic Autonomy are: 1.Europe’s weight in the world is shrinking in terms of population and GDP. If we do not act together we will be irrelevant, “we must survive” in political freedom and social security 2. Need for self-sufficiency. Data, health and technology are weapons nowadays. Interdependence is becoming more acute and we need to be prepared 3. The fight against disinformation. He makes a distinction between soft power and hard power 4. The shift of the world towards Asia, the world is transforming in the face of the rise of China. It is necessary to be prepared as there is an interest in remaining a global player in relative power issues. We must control foreign investments to which we are sensitive. The US-EU alliance wants to implement new mechanisms to put pressure on China and impose sanctions for humans rights violations.
“Under Biden the multilateral environment has improved much more than under Trump even though there are no concrete proposals yet” Little divergence is expected in the US and EU in the years to come. Still there are many hurdles to overcome, one of them being the fact that world trade is a very sensitive area for the US middle class. Biden does not want to challenge Trump’s tariffs as they are very popular, that makes it difficult to optimize the relationship. Likewise, the excitement between the two sides to improve on trade and finance is resounding. “We have to develop monetary policies in a way that the Euro and the Dollar become more solidified,” stated Borrell . There is a lot of work to be done with an administration that is willing to do it.
How can we improve relations?
“Under Trump there was no good security cooperation between the EU and NATO.” There are several points to address. Turkey represents a fundamental piece of NATO’s military scheme. Erdogan’s lack of cooperation in recent years is a difficulty for the EU’s joint security policies. The US could improve these decisions with a mediation based on the democratic principles that the organization defends and represents. Similarly, improvement is needed on issues such as the anti-democratic situation in Russia, Syrian immigration in Europe and its return home, and preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
In addition, the High Representative assures that Venezuela is an issue of utmost importance for joint US-EU cooperation. The European Union (EU), the United States, and Canada issued a joint communiqué in which they open the door to review the sanctions imposed against Venezuela if there is significant progress in a comprehensive negotiation that repairs the country’s institutions and implements a system of free elections. “This is crucial for the US, Spain, Latin America and the EU, and incentives are needed, but the Venezuelan population needs to be ready for this improvement.”
How can we improve joint cooperation in climate change technology? And technological autonomy to reduce dependence on China?
Jose Juan Ruiz, Chairman of the Royal Elcano Institute, assures that Latin America with its infinite resources is a viable option for the production of this technology. Its proximity and Western values make it a viable option for the production of this technology. Spain plays a leading role in this task. For this reason, a plan to decarbonize the energy matrix and the total electrification of the Latin American transport system is necessary, avoiding millions of tons of CO2 emissions and saving millions of dollars per year. The alliance and financing of a partnership with Latin America is a priority. He also assured that the EU also has to decrease its dependence on Russian natural resources.
The paradigm shift and the direct impacts of the Biden cabinet on US and US multilateral relations are going a step forward. Global health, climate change, and global democracy are among the main objectives of this relationship. Reciprocity in trade (Market friendly policies), security (and cybersecurity) and the protection of universal rights are areas that will see a positive impact on transatlantic relations between the two sides in the years to come.