Transatlantic flashpoints & hegemonic countermeasures: US-Europe intra-elite relations from Nixon to Trump 2.0

Abstract

The return of Trump has revived debate about the future of transatlantic relations. This article contributes to that discussion by contextualising the present conjuncture. After explaining our Gramscian-inspired theory of world hegemony, we set out the structural features of American hegemony over Europe as consolidated in the late 1940s. Our thesis is that transatlantic clashes occur when the US or Europe fails to meet those responsibilities considered indispensable for hegemonic reproduction. This paper identifies five such reoccurring intra-elite conflicts, termed transatlantic flashpoints, which Washington subsequently attempts to overcome, via hegemonic countermeasures. We then apply this heuristic (action-flashpoint-countermeasure) to the evolution of transatlantic relations from Nixon to Trump 2.0, highlighting elements of continuity and change. As American hegemony wanes, flashpoints have intensified and countermeasures proven less effective. The emergence of Trumpism is symptomatic of this ‘global organic crisis’, but structurally unable to resolve it, to the detriment of US-Europe relations.