The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2017 25 dum in June 2016 has resulted in the United Kingdom setting a course for leaving the European Union, of which it has been a prominent member for more than 40 years. Now less and less weight is given to the fact that the integration of Europe and Brit- ain’s contribution to it during the last four decades prevented a recurrence of the kind of con- flicts that scarred the continent in the past. Indeed, the decision of the British people has raised the possibility that the very exis- tence of the European Union itself may be at risk, thanks to the encouragement it has afforded to parties of the right in France, Germany and Hol- land. In the forthcoming elec- tions in all three countries, these parties will press even harder for withdrawal, spurred on by the British example. It is presumptuous to offer an opinion on the circumstances which led to Donald Trump’s election to the presidency of the United States, and it is also dangerous to invoke parallels. But it can reasonably be said that there are certain similarities in the public mood in both the United Kingdom and United States. Not the least of these is the rejection of former Secretary of State Hill- ary Clinton, whose qualifica- tions and experience became a hindrance rather than an advantage in the eyes of many American voters because they identified her with what they regarded as a discredited establishment. Against this background, it is necessary to consider what the consequences of these events are for a rules-based system and for the trans-Atlan- tic relationship, particularly as it affects the United States and United Kingdom. This task is not made any easier by the fact that at the time of writing there is no clear view of the foreign policy positions which the United States may take under its new president. We face challenges of an entirely different nature, reflecting the disillusionment and even discontent many citizens feel toward governments. PHOTO COURTESY OF NATO