Re-energising Transatlantic Relations: Towards a Different EU Approach to Latin America

The fast-evolving international environment and the ongoing global pandemic have introduced new challenges and opportunities for Europe’s transatlantic partnerships. While relations with the Trump administration suffer from unprecedented tensions and strategic drift, Europe should not overlook the “other” transatlantic relationship, exploring opportunities to both deepen and widen EU-Latin American relations in line with the new European Commission’s call for a “stronger Europe in the world”. Europe-Latin America relations have a long history, but momentum has gradually dissipated, leading to a situation today in which bi-regional communications are largely confined to sterile trade talks. It is time for the EU to reconsider its approach to Latin America, applying greater strategic thinking to this relationship, elevating it to a higher political plane that better reflects the relationships potential and importance for both sides.