The State of the European Union. The European Parliament faces its most important elections yet

103 Introduction: an alliance under strain Since the end of World War Two, the United States has been Europe’s closest ally. The two partners have shared interests and common val- ues, and a vision of the world that has guided their international relations and joint actions. However, the events of 2018, the second year of Donald Trump’s term as president, have confirmed the existence of a huge breach be- tween the USA and the EU. During this period, there has been an alarming lack of political and strategic dialogue. The practical implications of “America First” affect a number of thematic ar- eas, starting with security (the role and status of NATO, which was founded in 1948), and includ- ing trade, climate change, multilateral institu- tions, and geopolitics in the Middle East, Russia and China. During this time, Trump has amplified his de- mands that Europe should pay more for security via NATO, and that Germany should reduce its car exports to the US. The American president has begun to refer to the EU as the “enemy” while his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has ridiculed what he views as Europe’s mistaken vision of multilateralism as “an end in itself”. At the UN Annual Assembly, Trump rejected “globalism” and advocated “national sover- eignty”, a stance that has translated into a with- drawal from the Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court, UNRWA and UNESCO, and to the US blocking the appoint- ment of judges in the World Trade Organization (WTO). At the same time, the nationalist wave that is currently sweeping Europe, and which leaders such as President Macron and Chancellor Merkel view as a direct threat, has been explic- itly supported by the US president. These divergences are amplified by the un- predictability of the Trump presidency and the way that the ground is constantly shifting be- neath the feet of those involved in discussions. Those holding key positions have either been undermined or replaced: with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson giving way to Mike Pompeo; National Security Advisor Michael Flynn being replaced by H. R. McMaster, who in turn gave way to John Bolton; and Secretary of Defense James Mattis being replaced by Pentagon num- ber two, Patrick Shanahan. The reality is that Europe is losing its major ally in the struggle for an open international or- der. This leaves Europeans at a crossroads: will The United States: widening the breach with Europe Vicente Palacio and Juan Antonio Pavón Losada