Ambiguous Expectations: Future Scenarios and Key Variables for the Transatlantic Relationship

Author(s): Daniel Keohane
Editor(s): Alexandra de Hoop Sheffer, Martin Michelot, Martin Quencez
Book Title: Solidarity Under Stress in the Transatlantic Realm
Series: Transatlantic Security and the Future of NATO Series
Publisher(s): The German Marshall Fund of the United States
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Place: Paris

These are testing times for the transatlantic relationship. For a variety of reasons, on both sides of the Atlantic, current expectations of the other are ambiguous. Europeans are struggling to unite in the face of a number of difficult domestic and external crises. The US electorate, meanwhile, is in the midst of a presidential campaign that is raising big questions about the role Washington should play in the world. But looking beyond current political difficulties, walking through different future scenarios for the transatlantic relationship can help identify the key variables that will affect the Euro-Atlantic alliance in the years to come. By understanding and debating these variables, the US and European governments can help ensure that the transatlantic relationship becomes healthier and stronger, despite the vast array of difficult current challenges.

Publisher's Website