Angela Merkel got it right: "Germany and America are tied by values of democracy, freedom and respect for the law and human dignity, independent of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views. I offer the next president of the United States, Donald Trump, close cooperation on the basis of these values."
The German chancellor’s eloquent statement should inspire the response of Europeans to Trump’s victory and prospective rule. The universality of the values she invokes is matched by the similar challenges she and other leaders face as they too head into elections over the next year.
Trump's victory has scared those who adhere to these values throughout the world. His campaign rhetoric systematically assaulted them in gross displays of xenophobia, racism, sexism and intolerance pitched to rally and rile audiences and social media. He went far beyond the normal brash turbulence of American democracy to establish a mocking disrespect for his opponent Hillary Clinton and the varied coalition of voters represented by her.
The outcome is accurately described as a “whitelash” given the social profile of his and her supporters. Such new lows of public discourse will not be erased by the bromides of post-election encounters and transition arrangements with President Obama’s administration.
Clinton struck a similar conditional note as Merkel when she hoped Trump “will be a successful president for all Americans”, going on to say: “We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.” As he assembles his team, his domestic and foreign policies are being scrutinised to see if they are as radical as promised and for their worldwide implications.
Right-wing populism is common to the US and Europe. It presents similar challenges of response and policy to those who cherish the values Merkel invoked.
Among centre-right parties like her’s and among those of the centre-left with which they are normally in competition, there is the huge challenge of diagnosing what drives these new movements towards rejecting those values. How best should they respond to the anger and despair they articulate about social exclusion and globalised economics?
That response must take full account of growing social inequalities and how they can be tackled by taxation, compensation funds and sustainable infrastructure projects to regenerate employment. Centre-left parties need to re-examine their faith in market solutions and rediscover confidence in the capacity of public power to shape the economy.
Much more can be done at European level to coordinate such policies in a visible and effective manner. A new European-level politics is needed to forge a new deal for a fairer and more inclusive society.