Clingendael hosted side session at Globsec Forum 2024

On August 31st, the Clingendael Institute hosted a side session during the high-level Globsec Forum in Prague. The session addressed shifts in public opinions in the United States and Europe and what this means for the future of transatlantic cooperation.

The discussion focused on electoral cleavages inside the U.S. and the growing trend towards isolationism among Republican constituencies, the differences among European publics in their support for Ukraine, and changing perceptions of the U.S. role in the world.

U.S. Elections

The conversations at this year’s Globsec Forum were dominated by the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming U.S. elections and what to do to increase European security in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  While Europe has high ambitions to strengthen its own capabilities, it remains critically dependent on U.S. support. The transatlantic relationship is more important than ever, and insights from U.S. and European survey data help to inform the policy debate on where the U.S. and Europe go after the elections on November 5th.

During the session, Ivo Daalder (president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs), Camille Grand (Distinguished Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations), and Rem Korteweg (Senior Research Fellow and U.S. lead at the Clingendael Institute) offered their insights drawing on recent polling on both sides of the Atlantic. Gabrielius Landsbergis (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania), Miroslav Wlachovsky (Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia), and Kajsa Ollongren (Former Minister of Defence of the Netherlands) reflected on what this means for European security and how European countries can prepare for a new occupant in the White House. The session was skillfully moderated by Teri Shultz, a reporter for NPR covering NATO and the EU.