View from Brussels: Why Europe Can't Quit America

An American-turned-European journalist decries the old continent's longtime addiction.

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Almost 20 years ago, an American journalist packed his bags, moved to Europe and decided he would never go back. Today, he argues that the old continent has a problem few Europeans recognize: it can’t overcome its unhealthy dependence on the United States.

That American is Dave Keating, Brussels correspondent for France 24, the French international news network, and author of the book “The Owned Continent.” He is my first guest on the new season of “The Diplomacy Podcast.”

This season will be different. As I’ve noted before, I’m traveling to more than 20 countries to research a book on the profound changes reshaping the international system. I’ll introduce you to some of the policymakers, diplomats, journalists and scholars I’ve met to discuss how they see the world — and where they think it’s headed.

Keating, whom I met recently in Brussels, has a message to Americans contemplating a move to Europe. “Don’t think you can escape the United States by moving to Europe,” he says. “Europeans’ daily lives are so dominated by American culture, you really feel like you’ve never actually left. They can’t stop talking about America and consuming its culture and its news.”

He also poses a thought experiment: Take everything the Trump administration has done to Europe over the past year and a half and imagine it had come from Xi Jinping’s China instead. How would the European Union have reacted?

If you’ve ever wondered whether the transatlantic relationship is an alliance of equals — or something else entirely — you’ll enjoy this conversation.

As always, my guest’s opinions don’t necessarily represent my own views.

Watch or listen to the episode above, or on one of these platforms: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nicholaskralev.substack.com