EU leaders congratulated Joe Biden on his election as President of the United States on Saturday and Sunday, 7 and 8 November, and also congratulated Kamala Harris on becoming the first female Vice-President.
Although they did not issue a joint statement, European leaders agreed to react simultaneously on Saturday at 7 pm, after the announcement of the results in Pennsylvania, to “congratulate the President-elect and Vice-President [...] while showing respect for the electoral process”, according to a European source.
Beyond the customary congratulations, the Europeans hope to strengthen ties with their transatlantic partner, which was somewhat damaged during the Donald Trump years – no leader having welcomed his mandate – particularly in the context of the fight against the Covid-19.
“The EU once again underlines its commitment to a strong transatlantic partnership and stands ready to engage in dialogue with the President-elect, the new Congress and the Administration”, explained the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in a statement.
Looking forward to meeting Mr Biden “as soon as possible”, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recalled that Europeans and Americans are “friends and allies”, whose citizens “share the deepest of links” and have built “an unprecedented transatlantic partnership”, which is also the basis of a liberal and rules-based international order. “As the world continues to change and new challenges and opportunities appear, our renewed partnership will be of particular importance”, she declared.
The President of the Commission said that her institution was ready to intensify cooperation with the new Administration and the new Congress to address the urgent challenges facing the world, such as the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and social consequences, climate change, digital transformation, strengthening Europe’s common security and the reform of a rules-based multilateral system.
The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, described the election as a “great day” for the United States and Europe, saying he was looking forward to working with the new administration to “rebuild our partnership”.
For the European Parliament – which will debate the US elections in plenary session on Wednesday 11 November – its President David Sassoli (S&D, Italy) said the world needs “a relaunch of transatlantic relations capable of addressing the many challenges these times present us with. The Covid-19 pandemic is the first time that Europe and the United States face a global challenge without a common vision. This makes our responses less effective”, he regretted.
Beyond pandemic management, other issues call, according to Mr Sassoli, for “a stronger and more concerted relationship. We have common values, a strong belief in democracy and freedom”, including security, the fight against terrorism and the defence of human rights. “A world with less inequality is in all our interests”, stressed the President of the European Parliament, looking forward to working with the US Congress and the new Administration.
The matter of Slovenia
While most Member State leaders also congratulated Mr Biden, calling for close cooperation, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janš – who publicly supported Donald Trump, whose wife, Melania, is of Slovenian origin, ahead of the elections – was more circumspect, wishing to have the final results before taking a decision.
Reversing Donald Trump’s decisions
In his speech after announcing his victory, Mr Biden made the fight against Covid-19 and the reunification of an America more of a priority than ever before. At home, he also intends to revive the American economy and restore the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.
On the climate front, Mr Biden’s victory should reinforce renewed international ambition, particularly after the recent commitments of China, Japan and South Korea to carbon neutrality (see EUROPE 12566/4 and 12592/31).
He promised that he would ask the United Nations to reinstate the United States in the Paris agreement as soon as he was inaugurated on 20 January 2021, and he wants his country’s net greenhouse gas emissions to be zero by 2050. Nevertheless, the implementation of new laws to achieve this goal will depend primarily on the ability of the Democrat Party to obtain a majority in the Senate on 5 January 2021.
The future 46th President of the United States also intends to reconsider the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO). He could also, under certain conditions, return to the Iranian nuclear agreement, which was signed when he was Barack Obama’s Vice-President. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Damien Genicot)