Living Without Friends: Examining EU Reactions to Crises of the Transatlantic Relationship

The transatlantic relationship has passed through phases of volatility and crisis with the EU and the US often finding themselves in an uneasy and contentious relationship. Even though the relevant literature has noted significant disagreements overtime, it has rarely approached it as a source of existential crisis for the EU. Despite their occasional discord, the US and EU are usually seen as strategic allies with converging interests and values. Nevertheless, developments after the end of the Cold War and, in particular, after the second Trump administration, has put such claims into doubt leading to an existential EU crisis. Building on this, our research enquires what determines the EU’s responses to the latter crisis. Our contribution aims to present the theoretical foundations of this query by addressing how a crisis in the transatlantic context might evolve into an existential EU crisis. Moreover, our analysis discusses the variables that might drive the EU’s reaction. Overall, our query contributes to the discussion of how the EU manages crises by placing this question in the unique context of transatlantic relations. By doing so we also provide a framework around the EU’s ability to act in times of major volatility and change.