I might have missed it but it seems at @MunSecConf Biden did not address Macron’s top priority of strategic autonomy and Macron did not address Biden’s priority of competition with China.
Some other reactions. All the speeches were solid but unsurprising. All missed an opportunity too. Biden elaborating on what being back means but tbh that's a surprise to no one (support NATO, etc). He was strong on democracy and China.
He could have said something about strategic autonomy redefining the 2% concept, democratic backsliding, or the need for the EU & UK to work closely together but chose not to. Merkel offered a list of all the things Germany is doing or will do including on staying in Afghanistan
...and meeting 2%. This was an olive branch to the US, including Republicans. But she mentioned competition with China only in passing and generally avoided the democracy v autocracy concept. Macron was great on COVID but did not mention China at all unless I missed it.
He spoke passionately about strategic autonomy and the EU saying basically that the EU was pivoting away from Europe to focus on the Pacific. Overall, on the surface everything is great but beneath they are basically avoiding the tough issues, at least in public.
Biden will really need to develop and invest in a sophisticated Europe strategy if he is to unlock this and get the levels of transatlantic cooperation he desires. He also needs to figure out what he needs in Europe and not just from Europe.
* typo— Macron talked about US pivoting away from Europe toward Pacific, not EU 🤦♂️
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