“The State of the Unions”: Resetting the Transatlantic Compass

UTOPIA & The Watcher Post launch new roundtable series on the future of EU–US relations

On 25 June, UTOPIA and The Watcher Post kicked off their new series on transatlantic affairs with a high-level, closed-door roundtable titled “The State of the Unions.” Hosted in Brussels and held under Chatham House Rule, the session brought together senior voices from both sides of the Atlantic to take stock of EU–US relations in a moment marked by global uncertainty, rising economic anxiety, and shifting geopolitical alignments.

Keynote remarks were delivered by MEP Brando Benifei, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with the United States, and Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Head of the EU Delegation to Washington, who joined remotely from the U.S. They emphasized both the resilience and fragility of the current moment. While economic ties remain unprecedented in scale (nearly $2 trillion in trade, €4.7 trillion in investment, 16 million jobs supported) there was broad recognition that the fundamentals of the relationship are under stress as political cycles on both sides are exposing tensions long kept under wraps.

The discussion featured insights from Anthony Gooch Gálvez (European Roundtable for Industry), Ignacio Garcia Bercero (Bruegel), Thibaut L’Ortye, (AmCham EU), Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton (Transatlantic Leadership Network), Dr. Eoin Drea (Wilfried Martens Centre), Sophia Sokolowski (Biden-Harris White House) and Jörn Fleck (Atlantic Council).

Speakers underlined a shared imperative: restoring stability in the short term while preparing for a strategic rebalancing in the long run. The unpredictability of global markets, the erosion of trust in multilateral frameworks, and fears of recession all point to a delicate phase ahead, one in which coordination is more necessary, but harder to achieve.

The conversation moved beyond trade to consider broader questions of autonomy and responsibility. On the European side, the debate highlighted the unfinished agenda of competitiveness, from capital markets union to industrial capacity. On the U.S. side, questions loomed about long-term engagement: whether future administrations will continue to view the transatlantic alliance as a pillar of U.S. global strategy, or move toward a more transactional footing.

There was no consensus, but a shared sense that this is a defining moment. If the transatlantic relationship is to remain a global anchor, it must evolve realistically, deliberately, and together.

What is at stake today is not whether the partnership will survive, but how it will evolve. In moments of turbulence, dialogue becomes more vital than ever. Now is the time to move beyond declarations of shared values and toward deliberate, forward-looking cooperation.

Through this new series, UTOPIA and The Watcher Post aim to provide exactly that: a trusted, agile forum where decision-makers, thinkers, and stakeholders can meet candidly, off the record, to shape the next chapter of EU–US relations. Not in reaction to crises, but in anticipation of what’s to come.

This was only the beginning. More strategic roundtables will follow in the coming months, focusing on specific sectors of the transatlantic relationship and each contributing to a deeper, more honest conversation about the future of the EU-US partnership.