There will be no uncontrolled slip during the G7 meeting.
No intimidation, no insults, no drama.
No one will see orange and no one will see red either; One allows, moreover, to explain the other.
There won’t be until the end of the fishtail, like when Donald Trump withdrew his support for the recent post-G7 press release in Charlevoix and fired his dogs against Justin Trudeau.
In short, you may get bored. But that’s good!
This is the beginning of the return to normalcy that American allies – especially Canada – have often dreamed of.
A predictable American president has put pluralism at the heart of his priorities.
A head of state believes that alliances are like precious cogs: they must be carefully maintained to make sure they function properly.
We seem to be playing on the cover of the movie we watched when Barack Obama paid for George W. Bush all over the world.
By the way, this old Joe explains: he wants to unite the democracies in the world around America.
And the world’s democracies ask for nothing better.
Such a speech after Donald Trump’s grumble is like receiving a water tanker after spending four years in the desert.
***
The enthusiasm is evident.
This can be proven.
A poll conducted by the American research institute Pew showed that in the 16 countries surveyed, at least 75% of those surveyed believed that Joe Biden would make the “right choices in world affairs.”
When the same question was asked about Donald Trump last year, the result was disastrous: 17% was a meager one.
However, the bridges that Donald Trump sprayed with gasoline before being burned and then bombed to rubble will not be rebuilt overnight. Not even eight – the length of Joe Biden’s trip to Europe.
As evidence of this, there are two other figures taken from this poll: Two out of three people (67%) still believe that the United States prioritizes its interests over the interests of its allies in foreign policy and 57% believe that the relationship between Washington and its allies. It wouldn’t change even if Joe Biden was president.
However, these bridges will have to be reconstructed.
And quickly hopefully.
It is the fate of the democracies whose star has not ceased to fade ten years ago.
It must prove its importance. And if there’s one thing their leaders do well to take into account during this summit and those who will follow (NATO, for example), it is this.
***
Joe Biden arrives in the UK with a list summed up by the White House in three C words: climate, COVID-19, and China.
And for each of these core issues, democracies play a major role.
By taking the lead – really – on the climate issue, for example. Under Donald Trump, China was practically in the process of positioning itself as the standard bearer of this issue on the international stage.
It would have been much better if Beijing had shown greater seriousness in combating climate change, but the rich nations (and major emitters of greenhouse gases) from the G7 must nonetheless lead by example.
For COVID-19, it’s the same. It is time for the major democracies to put an end to vaccination nationalism and make a greater contribution to the distribution of vaccines in less wealthy countries. Moreover, Canada is preparing to announce its intentions in this area, and this is much better.
A country like China has long made vaccine diplomacy a foreign policy priority.
Finally, let’s talk about China. And from Russia, where Joe Biden will meet Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Both countries have risen to prominence under Donald Trump. Other countries ruled by autocratic rulers, such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia, spoke without restrictions.
We will not end the Democratic recession (which began long before the election of Donald Trump) overnight.
But it is clear that the pace of the match has just changed.
The most talented midfielder on the Democracies team will no longer insist on counting over and over at his goal.
It does not smell like a wound. Away from this. But it smells less bad.
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