Brace for impact: Trump is moving full-speed ahead with his reactionary agenda. Signing over 100 executive actions, he has declared the border with Mexico a national emergency, lifted restrictions for oil and gas drilling, withdrawn the US from the Paris Climate agreement and the World Health Organization, weakened AI safety regulation, and more.
The challenges and threats Trump 2.0 poses for the international rules-based order, liberal democracy, and climate protection are undeniable. The European Union is particularly in his crosshairs, because in many ways it represents everything he stands in opposition to.
Watching the inauguration of President Trump, I was struck by the weight of the moment and the urgent need to meet the challenge with acuity, unity, and resolve; as highlighted in our transatlantic scenarios on Ukraine and the green transition. A third scenario paper, focusing specifically on the future of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), now rounds off this series. And later today, our head office in Berlin will host a webinar to discuss the global repercussions of Trump 2.0 and its impact on civil societies worldwide.
The coming months will demand our attention on many fronts: from the evolving political constellations in Europe following critical elections to the defence and security of our continent, as well as the competitiveness and green transformation of European industry.
Let me highlight two particularly pressing items.
First: The necessity of strengthening partnerships with like-minded countries. As Trump isolates the United States from international institutions, builds walls, and bullies other nations, it is crucial for the EU to build bridges and deepen international collaboration.
In this context, 2025 will be a year of global engagement for our EU Office. We will host a range of expert groups, especially from the Global South, and aim to collaborate closely with our India office on EU-India relations.
Second: the increasing and disruptive ties between authoritarian movements and social media. Trump and the “tech broligarchs” exemplify this dynamic. Our President, Jan Philipp Albrecht, has addressed this issue in an op-ed with the Tagesspiegel (in German), which is also critical for democratic resilience and the proposed "European Democracy Shield," a topic we are actively working on.
In this context, we are expanding our outreach on platforms such as Bluesky and LinkedIn, and encourage you to follow us there. LinkedIn, in particular, is noteworthy: while it holds the title of most trusted digital platform globally, it is not immune to challenges like climate misinformation. Our recent explainer delves into this issue.
I hope these work streams of ours resonate with you, as we navigate this challenging period together.
Read more in our Böll EU 1/2025 Newsletter!
Warm regards and all the best for 2025,
Roderick Kefferpütz, Director, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union
