In Sum

if they find Chancellor Angela Merkel’s successor unfavorable, resulting in short-term gains to shore up the party’s support and deepening polarization in Germany.

Not only has the end of Trump’s tenure signaled the inability to “return to the old world

of trans-Atlantic relations,” countries around the world and in Europe have been awakened to the effects of deepening economic and cultural inequalities and a widespread sense of political

disenfranchisement within their borders.111 Both Germans and Americans will have to be strategic in crafting international and domestic policies that avoid exacerbating these problems.

Germans, while optimistic about a Biden presidency, see the current political moment as an opportunity to step further into a global leadership role.

Amongst the varied reactions to the United States election, there are trends that offer

insight into the future of U.S.-European relations and the challenges and opportunities Europe

may find regarding the Biden administration. Due to their proximity to Russia, Central and Eastern European countries play a critical geopolitical role, stressing the importance of a

strong U.S. presence, e.g., in the form of military aid that Hungary, Poland, and the Ukraine

will be eager to preserve under the Biden administration. The Mediterranean countries are primarily concerned with the lasting influences of Trump’s protectionism and are eager to resume multilateral trade in the coming years. Responses in the North are more varied but

signal the general sentiment of optimism with the exception of Sweden, which is cautious about

recent U.S. political trends. While Ireland will continue to enjoy uninterrupted friendship, the UK will attempt to present itself as an attractive ally with mutually beneficial goals in a postBrexit Europe. Muted responses dominate Benelux nations, primarily the Netherlands, but Dutch and Belgian governments both anticipate better relations with the U.S. Luxembourg, while pleased with the election results, is wary of Biden’s financial policy that may turn them elsewhere. Finally, countries in Central and Western Europe have come out as strong proponents of European integration and increased self-reliance, as evinced by Macron’s questioning of