Venizelos - Bakoyannis - Ries: The new reality after Trump's return

PRESS RELEASE
Athens, 12 November, 2024

Venizelos - Bakoyannis - Ries: The new reality after Trump's return

Former Foreign Ministers Evangelos Venizelos and Dora Bakoyannis and former US Ambassador to Athens Charles Ries, traced the next steps for Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, after the US elections, in a "Dialogue" organized by the «Nisyros Dialogues».

Ev. Venizelos: "Europe will sleepwalk marching in place"

D. Bakoyannis: "Trump was voted in to support American interests. Will we defend European interests?"

T.Ries: "Difficult and complicated road in the Middle East"

"The US electied a new President - The next day for the Eastern Mediterranean" was the theme of the "Dialogue", which attracted the interest of a large audience including leading political and diplomatic personalities, a few days after the 5th of November US Presidential elections.

It was a debate organised by the «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med». The speakers were former Vice President of the Government and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, former Foreign Minister and MP Dora Bakoyannis and former US Ambassador to Athens Charles Ries.

The «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med», is a Think Tank/Forum, which has established itself as a reference point for dialogue on four specific areas: the Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, Energy Security, the Environment and Sustainable Insularity (Akritic Islands). The outcome of the US Presidential elections was the occasion to open the "Dialogue" on how the geopolitical situation in the Eastern Mediterranean will evolve and what Europe and Greece can expect in the region.

Before the Dialogue began, the founder and inspirer of the "Dialogues" and President of the G. M. Mihalos Foundation, Mr. Panagiotis G. Mihalos announced that the annual "Dialogues" IV, will be held on July 3-6, 2025 in Nisyros, while he revealed that the «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med» are now established outside Nisyros and Greece. Two every year - one inside Greece and one outside - with the next one taking place in Brussels at the beginning of next year.

The three speakers

The "Dialogue", moderated by Pavlos Tsimas and Fanis Papathanasiou, started with the analysis and the causes of the election result, expanded - due to Fidan's visit to Athens the same day of the Dialogue - to Greek-Turkish relations and focused on the impact and what might happen in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, after Trump's election.

Ries, who has served as ambassador to Greece, pointed out that this time the management of the election process in the US was very professional, helped by the clear difference and there were no problems of the previous election.

Referring to Trump's election, Bakoyanni said that the Democratic Party had lost touch with the society and that Trump campaigned for four years by "canvassing" all the states.

The former Foreign Minister and MP of ND governing party, underlined the phrase - a phrase of concern expressed by President Macron - that "Trump was voted in order to support American interests. Are we going to defend the European ones?"

Former Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos expressed serious concern about how Europe will react, stating that "the EU is playing a secondary and awkward role. It is therefore doomed to a - I will use an expression now which I hope will not prove to be an exaggeration, historically - Europe will now sleepwalk marching in place: it will both sleepwalk and marching in place."

Fidan’s visit
Referring to Fidan's visit, Ms.Bakoyannis noted that "we are holding a small basket" and added that trade and economic issues are progressing and there was a substantial discussion on migration, which is a major threat to Greece, Turkey and Europe.

Mr. Venizelos noted that this two-year moratorium with Turkey is mutually beneficial and pointed out that at some point we have to take stock of the Erdogan administration, because for 22 years we have not had any major crises, unlike in previous decades.

There is continuity in relations with the US, Ambassador Riess also pointed out. Greece and Turkey have many issues to deal with as neighbors and allies.

Ev.Venizelos: "Fearful Democracy"
Among other things and taking the result of the US elections as a starting point, Evangelos Venizelos explained: "We are obliged to accept the result, I often talk about fearful democracy, because we are very often afraid of the result of elections in Europe, but who are we who are afraid of the result of elections in America? We do not have the right, American citizens vote and European citizens vote and then we all suffer the consequences of the choices, whatever those choices are. But that is how democracy moves, between circumstance and history. At the same time, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs estimated that the Middle East and Ukraine fronts will be dealt with together, adding that neither President Biden nor President Trump will allow Western strategy towards Iran to be determined by a third country, even if it is Israel. The US relationship with Russia in the Middle East is critical to Israel's existence, which is why Israel's relationship with Ukraine is very cautious.

D. Bakoyannis: "Time is running out for Europe"
Ms. Bakoyannis was negative on the removal of Israeli Defence Minister Jacob Galland and expressed concern about the time between now and the new US President taking office, noting that when agreements are being prepared, each side hardens its stance in order to negotiate from a position of strength.

On Europe, Ms. Bakoyannis stressed that time is running out and she has two reports in front of her (Letta, Draghi) and she has to implement them. She expressed some optimism, saying that she believes that necessity will force us to move forward, as was the case with the Recovery Fund. Ms. Bakoyannis reiterated that Athens will not change its strategy towards the US, our relations are deep and America knows that we are a firm ally.

Ch. Ries: "The unpredictable Mr. Trump"
Mr. Ries said Trump's election will have a greater impact on Ukraine, and on Gaza, he said the Israelis are in the process of thinking about the next day.

The US ambassador, referring to the Middle East, said the road will be complex and difficult, while on the Ukrainian issue also noted that it will not be easy to resolve, despite Mr. Trump's campaign promises that it will be a one-day affair.

On Mr. Trump, the American diplomat said that no President's second term is the same as his first, as there is the experience of governing in between, but added that Mr. Trump likes to be unpredictable and that inflation will be difficult to deal with.

A few words about «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med»

The «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med» was established by the "Georgios M. Mihalos Foundation - Sustainability of Nisyros" in 2022. The "Dialogues" is a modern Think Tank/Forum with the aim of making the Eastern Mediterranean a region of sustainable development, cultural mutual understanding and international cooperation. It focuses on four pillars: Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, Energy Security, the Environment and Sustainable Insularity (Akritic Islands).

The «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med», has established itself as a leading body of ideas, a catalyst for promoting partnerships, a driving force for projects, but also an essential and moral sponsor, together with other recognized institutions, for the emergence of the geopolitical challenges of the Eastern Mediterranean in the new era.

Going beyond the physical boundaries of Nisyros, the «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med» will be held, starting with yesterday's Dialogue in Athens, "The US elected a new President - The next day for the Eastern Mediterranean", in the rest of Greece and abroad, taking the spirit of the «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med» to new places, promoting the exchange of ideas and cultural mutual understanding on a global level, highlighting each time the themes that constitute the axes of the «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med».

Since their creation in 2022, the three annual «Nisyros Dialogues» have already taken place in Nisyros:

2022 with the theme: "The Sustainable Development of Small Islands & The Geopolitics of the Green Transition", with former Prime Minister Antonis K. Samaras as keynote speaker,

2023 with the theme: "Islands in the New Era", with keynote speaker Professor Ioannis Maniatis, former Minister of Energy, current MEP and elected Vice President of the European Socialists and Democrats (S&D Party),

In 2024, last summer, the "Dialogues" III were held on the theme: "Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean: Geopolitics, Energy, Insularity", with the main speaker being Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (online) and the then Commissioner of the European Union and Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas.

The Georgios M. Mihalos Foundation - Sustainability of Nisyros, established in 2021, is an International Centre for Exchange of Views and fruitful dialogue on issues of Geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean, Energy Security, Environment and Sustainable Insularity (Akritic Islands), creating the «Nisyros Dialogues - Bridging the East Med». The aim of the Foundation, apart from the effort to make the Eastern Mediterranean an area of Sustainable Development, Cultural Mutual Understanding and International Cooperation, is also the protection and promotion of the natural and cultural heritage of the Nisyros archipelago, given its volcanic nature, in order to become an object of international reflection and research. Through its initiatives and actions, the Foundation seeks to present on the international stage the unique local characteristics of the island, highlighting every element of its uniqueness, with the aim of protecting its natural environment.