The panel discussion on transatlantic cooperation at the Central European Summit on 15 April was moderated by MEP and head of the Patriots for Europe Foundation András László and featured Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Fekete, CEO of 4iG, Shea Bradley-Farrell, President of the Counterpoint Institute, Ariel Bulshtein, senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Daniele Scalea, President of the Machiavelli Center for Political and Strategic Studies. The participants agreed that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as the return of Donald Trump are fundamentally reshaping transatlantic relations. Hungary’s pro-peace stance, cooperation between the United States and Israel, and the need for European rearmament were all central themes. At the heart of the discussion was the recognition that it is time for the Western world to rebuild its security policy, strengthening the European-American alliance while increasing the role of the private sector in the defence industry.
Donald Trump’s re-election has created the opportunity for peace in Europe
In response to the moderator’s first question on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, Péter Sztáray said that the European Union must fundamentally change the policy it has been pursuing for the past three years. He pointed out that after the escalation of the war in Eastern Europe in 2022, Hungary alone was in favour of a negotiated peace, while the other EU member states – in line with the US Democratic leadership – committed themselves to continuous military support for Ukraine. The majority of European leaders has failed to recognise that every day the country under attack becomes weaker and therefore we must join the US peace initiative. In the experience of the State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security, Hungarian-American bilateral relations were frozen under Joe Biden’s presidency, but the return of the Republican president could bring about a golden age in this area too.
The Washington-Jerusalem-Budapest cooperation is taking shape
Following the Russian-Ukrainian war, the second question of moderator András László focused on the other major armed conflict in the region, the war in the Middle East war. According to Ariel Bulshtein, former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his European allies to support Hamas, unwittingly helping Israel’s enemies. The Israeli prime minister’s senior adviser said the English language was not rich enough to describe the extent of the change that came with Donald Trump’s return. In his view, a new form of cooperation, the Washington-Jerusalem-Budapest triangle, is emerging.
Market companies must play a greater role in European rearmament
The wars that have broken out on the peripheries of Europe over the past three years, and the re-election of Donald Trump have made the region’s leaders aware of the importance of armament. According to Péter Fekete, head of one of the region’s largest technology, ICT and aerospace companies, European private sector players need to play a greater role in arming Europe and building military capabilities. Over the past three months, following the inauguration of the US President in January, there has been a significant increase in interest in European business opportunities among US investors, and 4iG is also working closely with several US defence companies.
Republican victory is a chance to reshape the global system
Shea Bradley-Farrell, President of the Counterpoint Institute, did not mince her words when she said that Trump is a tremendous opportunity to shatter the decades-old neoliberal status quo in order to build a new world order more in tune with the challenges and realities of the 21st century. Tariff policy, which negatively affects European countries too, is also, in her view, a bargaining chip as a means of reshaping the global balance of power. Shea Bradley-Farrell believes that the most important consequence of Donald Trump’s re-election is the suspension of ideology-driven policies.
The US needs to send more positive messages to Europe
In response to a question from the moderator, Daniele Scalea pointed out that Italy, along with Hungary, has an excellent relationship with the current US administration, and that Giorgia Meloni has been able to maintain a close and good relationship with the Biden administration too. The President of the Machiavelli Center believes that Donald Trump’s re-election has opened up many opportunities for cooperation, but – referring to Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech in Munich – the US should send more positive messages to its European allies.
Security threats mean it is time to act
The second half of the panel discussion was started by Péter Sztáray, who, in response to a question from the moderator, pointed out that it is not in the interest of the United States to leave NATO, and it only wants to encourage its European allies to increase defence spending. According to the State Secretary, although EU leaders recognised the threat to the East three years ago, they failed to act and even handed over their military stockpiles to Ukraine, further weakening Europe’s defence infrastructure. While Péter Sztáray does not support an increase in defence spending to 5 percent of GDP because of the economic consequences, Péter Fekete argues that this could encourage private sector companies to play a greater role.
Europe and the United States must stick together
Turning to the conflict in the Middle East, Ariel Bulshtein said that peace in the region cannot be achieved by trying to buy it with land for the Palestinian people, since Hamas’ aim is not just to take territory but to destroy the Jewish people. The Israeli prime minister’s adviser says the EU approach is ineffective, and that Trump’s return has created the possibility of peace in the Middle East. Shea Bradley-Farrell drew parallels between the Palestinian riots that have erupted across Europe and the protests in the US that have been going on for four years with varying intensity. The President of the Counterpoint Institute said the United States and its European allies must work closely together to combat radicalism and reshape the world order to the benefit of both regions. In conclusion, Daniele Scalea pointed out that it is clear that Europe needs to spend more on defence, but this cannot be achieved at the cost of a debt crisis. In his view, European leaders need to convince the public in their countries of the need to rearm, even at the expense of other budget items.
