Europe Responds to the 2020 U.S. Election Relatively new to formal diplomatic relations, the Vatican and the United States joined forces under the Reagan administration, in part due to their shared opposition to the spread of Communism.55 The appointment of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 further expanded the Vatican’s role in global politics, perhaps most notably as criticism of the Iraq war and other U.S. foreign policies.56 Pope Francis has continued the work of his predecessor in global affairs, assisting with the brokerage of peace between the United States and Cuba during the Obama administration.57 In 2016, Pope Francis was an outspoken critic of President Trump’s anti-immigration platform, to which Trump responded that if he were not elected president, “the Vatican would be attacked by ISIS.”58 These two leaders repeatedly sparred over controversial policies, including immigrant family separation at the U.S. border, Trump’s decision to rescind DACA, and inaction on climate change.59 It is anticipated that relations will improve under President Biden, the second Catholic president in U.S. history, who shares Pope Francis’ commitment to fighting climate change and echoes the Pope’s desire to unite and “build bridges not walls.”60 However, Biden will also be under the watchful eye of the Church’s more conservative leadership. Alluding to the separation of church and state, Biden claims his personal religious beliefs should not and will not be imposed on all Americans.61 Nevertheless, the Vatican’s overwhelmingly warm reception of President Biden is indicative of a global hope for a United States that is focused on collective problems and finding collaborative solutions.
The North: Scandinavia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom The nations of Northern Europe value both their connection to the U.S. and their independence though several countries believe that connection has become frayed. However much Biden will have to present the U.S. as a reliable ally, it is expected that, for the most part, relations will continue to be at least as strong as they have been in recent years due to shared interests and commitment to international organizations.
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