Event

How to make sense of the new era in transatlantic relations

This seminar will explore the challenges facing the transatlantic relationship, with a particular focus on legitimacy, integration, and security.

30 April 2025

10:00 - 11:30 Europe/Oslo

Language: English

NUPI, Rosenkrantz' gate 22

Seminar

Themes

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Donald Trump claims that European countries spend too little on defence, that the European Union (EU) trades unfairly with the United States, and that the EU was originally created to harm American interests. Such claims must be understood in their historical context. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the United States played a central role in promoting European integration—both in the immediate post-war period and throughout the Cold War. Over time, the economies on both sides of the Atlantic became deeply intertwined, and today, trade between the EU and the US constitutes only one component of a much broader economic relationship.

At the same time, the United States has not only accepted but later also insisted on leading efforts to safeguard European security. According to Erik Jones of the European University Institute (EUI), Trump’s policies mark a significant departure from this tradition. By challenging the very foundation of the transatlantic relationship, the Trump administration effectively turns its back on eight decades of established American foreign policy—and undermines the trust on which that policy has long depended.

Jones argues that the EU will respond by addressing vulnerabilities and reinforcing its own defence capabilities, but he also underlines that European perceptions of the United States have already undergone a fundamental shift. The rupture in the transatlantic partnership may have far-reaching consequences—not only for European security, but also for American prosperity and the United States’ global leadership.

In this seminar, Erik Jones will examine the ongoing developments in transatlantic relations, which he describes as a genuine break. Jones is Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at EUI, and is widely recognised as a leading expert on European political economy and transatlantic affairs. He previously served as a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and has published extensively on European integration, economic governance, and global financial stability. Jones is a sought-after commentator in international media and co-editor of Government & Opposition.

This event is part of the research project «Norway and the EU undergoing change», and it will be moderated by NUPI researcher Pernille Rieker. The seminar is held at NUPI, and will also be streamed live to NUPI's YouTube channel (no registration needed for digital participation).