While the counting of ballots took slightly longer than many had expected, last weekend's confirmation that Joe Biden had been elected as President of the United States has been warmly welcomed across Europe.
In their analysis of Trump's presidency, the European media has by and large found his inept handling of the coronavirus and his foreign policy concerning, and his general demeanour at times astonishing and dangerous. Most European countries have a very poor view of Trump's presidency, with negative ratings of 80% to 90% in France and Germany.
With that in mind ESM weighs up who potentially has the most to lose (or win) from a Biden presidency.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
United Kingdom
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has long borrowed from the Trump playbook, a populist approach that may not carry much weight with the new administration. While being praised by Trump, he is now under pressure to build a bond with Biden.
Brexit Party
Nigel Farage, leader of the UK's Brexit Party, another Donald Trump sycophant, has reputedly lost a £10,000 bet on Trump retaining the Presidency. Trump is reported to have suggested to his good friend Johnson that Farage should be made British Ambassador to the United States.
Israel
Overnight, Biden's victory effectively downgraded Israel’s ranking on the list of United States foreign-policy priorities, diminished Mr. Netanyahu’s stature on the global stage and undercut his argument to restive Israeli voters that he remains their indispensable leader.
Saudi Arabia
Few are likely to be more anxious about Biden's presidency than Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Biden's victory means the end of the zone of immunity the Trump administration crafted around Saudi Arabia. In the past, Biden has urged a reassessment of the US relationship with Riyadh. Liberals in the Democrats say that Mohammed bin Salman should be indicted for his alleged role in the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi—a Saudi dissident, journalist, and columnist for The Washington Post.
Brazil
Biden's victory is a loss for the man known as the Trump of the Tropics, Brazilian's President Jair Bolsonaro, whose fervent endorsement of the Republican incumbent could potentially leave him isolated abroad and vulnerable at home, according to analysts. As congratulations from world leaders for Biden poured in, Bolsonaro's silence spoke volumes.
The Trump Brand
What effect will Trump's defeat have on his brand? When Trump became president, he immediately jacked up the entrance fee to his Mar-a-Lago Club. As Trump becomes increasingly toxic, many shrewd marketers think the Trump brand will suffer significantly.
THAT WINNING FEELING
Germany
Trump was at times vicious in his relations with Germany, and was extremely rude to Europe's most admired politician, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, refusing to shake her hand at a press conference. Merkel, who regularly met with Biden during his eight years as vice president, praised the U.S. president-elect’s decades of experience in both domestic and foreign policy.
“The United States of America and Germany, as part of the European Union, must stand together in order to face the great challenges of our time,” Merkel said of Biden's victory, listing the pandemic, climate change, the fight against terrorism and free trade as key topics. In addition, German car markets likely no longer have Trump's threat of import taxes hanging over them.
The Paris Agreement
Dismissing Trump's negative assessment of environmental concerns, Biden has said he will rejoin the Paris Agreement on his first day in office. "America is Back!" tweeted Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris.
World Health Organisation
Biden said he will reverse Trump's withdrawal from the World Health Organisation on this first day of office, and double down on efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 globally.
NATO
In stark contrast to Trump, who denounced NATO as 'obsolete', Biden has pledged to restore and expand the 1949 alliance.
Ireland
Biden is the second Irish-American Catholic to become President of the United States, and rumours suggest his first foreign trip could be to Ireland. Biden’s great-grandfather, James Finnegan, emigrated from County Louth as a child in 1850, while all eight of his great-great-grandparents on his mother’s side were born in Ireland. Ballina and Carlingford, two small Irish towns, one on the west coast of the Wild Atlantic Way, and the other on the north east coast, are expected to significantly benefit from increased tourist numbers, due to their link with the Biden family tree.
He is also a great admirer of Irish writers: Heaney, Yeats and Joyce in particular; as he put it in a 2016 letter, "James Joyce wrote, 'When I die, Dublin will be written on my heart.' Well, Northeast Pennsylvania will be written on my heart. But Ireland will be written on my soul."
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Kelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
