Transatlantic Relations under Trump Administration and the National Interest Policies in Europe

Year 2021, Volume: 25 Issue: 4, 1373 - 1395, 28.12.2021

Ahmet Görgen

https://doi.org/10.53487/ataunisosbil.827010

Abstract

This paper bases on the research related to the change of US - EU relations under Donald Trump administration in the United States and its effect on the EU member states' pursuing autonomous policies. Recent analyses reveal that under the Trump administration, there has been a change of traditional economic and political relations with the EU member states. How this policy change affected the EU member states has not received much attention. The analysis reveals Trump's questioning the function of NATO and putting tariffs on the products of the EU, supporting Brexit process and having close relations with the far-right leaders of Europe present important evidence of this policy change. This change has been visible in parallel with the leading European countries' creating their own foreign and domestic policies related to increasing the power of anti-EU political parties such as in Poland, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. The analysis thus suggests Trump’s approach to these countries encouraged them to pursue autonomous policies. Moreover, current President of the US, Joe Biden’s connivance of European politics shows the continuation of this policy even without direct support to the far-right leaders of Europe. With the neoclassical realist theory informed analysis, this paper aims to present the effect of Trump administration's restructuring attempts of US - EU relations on EU member states' pursuing autonomous policies.

Keywords

Trump Administration, US - EU Relations, European Union, Member States, National Interest

US-EU Relations in the Trump Era: Quest for Autonomy in Europe

Abstract

Bu çalışma ABD'de Donald Trump döneminde ABD - AB ilişkilerinin değişmesi ve bu değişimin son dönemde AB üye devletlerinin daha özerk politikalar takip etmelerine etkisini incelemektedir. Önceki çalışmalar ABD'de Trump döneminde, AB üye devletleriyle geleneksel ekonomik ve siyasi ilişkilerde batı ittifakı fikrinden uzaklaşan bir yaklaşım olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Bu politika değişikliğinin AB’ye üye devletleri nasıl etkilediği üzerine yapılan çalışmalar sınırlıdır. Trump'ın NATO'nun işlevini sorgulaması ve Avrupa Birliği'nden ithal edilen ürünlere ilave gümrük vergisi uygulaması, Brexit sürecini desteklemesi ve Avrupa’daki aşırı sağ liderlerle yakın ilişki kurması bu politika değişikliğinin önemli kanıtlarıdır. Bu politika değişikliği; Polonya, Macaristan ve Birleşik Krallık gibi Avrupa ülkelerinde, Avrupa Birliği karşıtı siyasi partilerin gücünü artırmalarının da etkisiyle kendi çıkarları çerçevesinde iç ve dış politikalarını oluşturmalarıyla paralel olarak aynı dönemde gerçekleşmiştir. Dolayısıyla bu çalışma, Trump'ın bu ülkelere yaklaşımının onları daha özerk politikalar izlemeye teşvik ettiğini gösteriyor. ABD'nin şu anki Başkanı Joe Biden'ın Avrupa siyasetini görmezden gelmesi, Avrupa'nın aşırı sağ liderlerine doğrudan destek olunmasa bile bu politikanın devam ettiğini gösteriyor. Neoklasik realist teori çerçevesinde yapılan bir analizle bu çalışma, Trump yönetiminin ABD - AB ilişkilerini yeniden yapılandırma girişimlerinin Avrupa Birliği'ne üye devletlerin daha özerk politikalar takip etmeleri üzerindeki etkilerini sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

Trump Yönetimi, ABD - AB İlişkileri, Avrupa Birliği, Üye Devletler, Ulusal Çıkar

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