With a new Trump administration in the White House, breaking the rules of the international order for a second term in office, the latest TEPSA book, “The United States and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, edited by Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak, and Paul Schmidt, could not be more relevant to ongoing European debates.

In order to discuss the findings of the book with young European citizens invested in the future of their continent on the world stage, TEPSA Chairperson Lucia Mokrá moderated a panel discussion at Comenius University in Bratislava. Speaking at the event were Kateryna Kasatkina (co-author of the book’s dedicated chapter on Slovakia), Paul Schmidt (co-editor of the book), and Shane Markowitz (Security Expert, IESIR). The discussion proved fruitful, with many attendees engaging, both positively and critically, with the questions raised by the book.

“The United States and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals” collects 41 national views from EU Member States and neighbouring countries regarding their respective relationship with the United States. It gives evidence of the importance and diversity of transatlantic relations, assesses the potentially disruptive impact of a second Trump presidency and offers policy recommendations. They range from more strategic autonomy and investments in Europe’s security architecture and industrial infrastructure to careful crafting of EU relations with China, deeper cooperation in tech and climate policies, as well as NATO enlargement. While the Trump administration will likely defend its interests and a preference for ‘divide and conquer’, the decades-old call for Europe to speak with one voice vis-à-vis the U.S. is louder than ever. Nonetheless, numerous countries still seem to favour ‘special’ bilateral ties to the U.S. The book explores the ebbs and flows of transatlantic relationships and carefully speculates about the next four years.