Crisis in EU-US relations: a story of mis-recognition and emotions

With the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States in 2016, the transatlantic relations entered a renewed period of turbulence. The former US administration challenged some of the core principles underlying transatlantic relations since WWII, including the US defence guarantee, open trade relations, and support for multilateral institutions– thereby testing the EU’s ability to respond to crises and rethink its position in the world. Against this background, recent studies have attempted to analyse the EU's response vis-à-vis the US mainly from a realist and institutional perspective. Yet not enough attention has been given to the crucial socio-psychological component underlying the EU’s response – related to the recognition needs of the EU. Therefore, this paper proposes to analyse the development of the transatlantic relations in recent years through the lens of recognition theories and emotions in IR. Based on the thematic analysis of public statements and specific policy initiatives, the article suggests that powerful dynamics of misrecognition and re-affirmation of identity have been at play in this recent crisis. By elaborating a theoretical framework featuring the recognition dynamics underlying the EU’s response to the changing transatlantic relationship, this paper provides an original emotional perspective on the EU’s capacity to act in international affairs.