Webinar | Africa/Europe perspectives on the US elections

Donald Trump’s election was a surprise, not so much because he won, but because of the scale of his victory. After 5 November, he now has full powers, as in addition to his legitimacy at the polls, he now controls both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court. For Europeans, Donald Trump’s return is an existential threat and could confront Europe with numerous simultaneous political tensions: withdrawal of US aid to Ukraine, risks to collective security and consequences for NATO, trade wars and increased customs duties. Donald Trump makes no secret of the fact that he does not like Europe and considers Europeans to be freeloaders who take advantage of US aid to ensure their security, while exporting their products to the United States on a massive scale and refusing to buy American products, thereby widening the trade deficit. On the African front, Donald Trump’s African policy during his presidency (2017-2021) was marked by relatively limited attention compared to previous administrations (reduced diplomatic involvement and development aid). Only the confrontation with China prompted a few initiatives in response to China’s presence on the continent (such as the Prosper Africa Initiative for trade and investment). As the context has changed little, this approach is likely to continue. This webinar, co-organised by the Jacques Delors Institute and the West African think tank WATHI, offers a cross-perspective on the consequences for both continents. We welcome the following speakers to this webinar:

• Sylvie Matelly, Director of the Jacques Delors Institute,
• Gilles Yabi, Director of the WATHI think tank,
• Juste Codjo, Professor of International Security and Director of the Doctoral Programme at the Department of Professional Security Studies, New Jersey City University
• Nicole Gnesotto, Professor Emeritus at CNAM, Vice-President of the Jacques Delors Institute

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