Donald Trump's pick to be EU ambassador launches fierce attack on 'anti-American' EU

Donald Trump’s likely choice to become the next US ambassador to the EU has launched a fierce attack on the institution, describing it as having become “undemocratic and bloated by both bureaucracy and rampant anti-Americanism”.

Writing for Holyrood’s sister-site, Parliament Magazine, Ted Malloch questions if the EU’s existence is compatible with American interests, arguing that Trump “may be able to encourage a reversal of the EU’s accelerating drive to a socialist, protectionist, United States of Europe”.

Malloch, a professor at Henley Business School, says Europeans are ungrateful for assistance provided by the US since the Second World War and resentful of American power, while accusing it of turning its back on the US and on NATO.

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He writes: “The Trump administration is steadily making it clear that the US is no longer interested in the old forms of European integration. In fact, it may be able to encourage a reversal of the EU’s accelerating drive to a socialist, protectionist United States of Europe.

“This movement should be seen for what it is. It is very harmful to US business, to US investment, to US security, and is categorised by over-regulation, low growth, high unemployment, and structural rigidity as its outcome. The US should therefore definitively encourage more bilateral trade with Europe but make firm its opposition to a federal Europe by saying a definite No to a single Euro government.

“It may be time to re-evaluate key US assumptions about Europe. This means America should reappraise its entire relationship with Europe and its future union or disunion.”

Trump has repeatedly praised the UK vote to leave the EU, describing it as a “blessing to the world” that would “end up being a fantastic thing for the United Kingdom”, with Malloch calling for the EU to be put to a referendum vote in every member country.

Malloch adds: “We do know that the US and the UK are different from Europe: we want democracy and accountability, while the EU is intrinsically undemocratic and unaccountable. So should the US continue to promote such a damaged European model, which is alien to our own traditions? Is it not working against US interests to do so? Most certainly it does not put America, first, as Trump has now designated.

“We should be keenly aware that America has strong and long historic ties to Europe; that our genealogy and kinship run deep. Despite our large contribution to post-war European development and democracy, not to mention costly security, anti-Americanism abounds in Europe today.”