Athens is following developments after the US election closely and, it says, the result is no cause for concern about a deterioration in Greek-US relations.As stability in the eastern Mediterranean is tested once again and the NAVTEX for work to lay the electricity interconnector cable is expected imminently (the latest reports suggest it could be issued as early as this weekend, though that remains to be confirmed), the government is assuring the public that all major projects and agreements will not be affected by the outcome of the US midterm elections.
Maximos Mansion attaches particular importance to the changes expected in key positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate. This is of added interest to Greek diplomacy, as issues directly affecting Greek interests and the balance of power in the wider region pass through key committees, such as the Foreign Affairs Committee. These include the question of sanctions against Turkey.
There will be a change in the person of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in this particularly powerful committee, which also handles, among other things, the issue of lifting sanctions on Ankara over the F-35s.
The government is choosing to emphasise the enduring nature of US support for Greece, regardless of the balance of power between the parties, and the depth of the bilateral ties developed with both Republicans and Democrats.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis also sent this message, stressing that relations between Greece and the US are unaffected by shifts in the balance of power in Washington.
On both sides
The prime minister’s team believes, moreover, that Greece has now established a foothold on both sides of the US political system. The image that emerged during Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s address to Congress in 2022 is not considered—according to an aide to the prime minister—a one-off moment, but rather a reflection of Greece’s enhanced standing on the other side of the Atlantic. In this context, the election of people from both camps who are supportive of Greece is seen as an additional advantage.
In this election, several candidates of Greek descent won emphatic victories, most notably Chris Pappas in New Hampshire. For the first time since 2013, a senator of Greek descent was elected, while six Greek-American members of the House of Representatives, divided between the two parties, have also expressed supportive views.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis maintains that Greek-US cooperation has a depth that transcends electoral cycles. He points to the bipartisan nature of support for Greece, as reflected in public statements by US officials and in the presence of Greek-American politicians in both parties.
“Greek-US relations, which are very strong and genuinely at their strongest ever, have great depth and broad bipartisan support,” Labour Minister Niki Kerameus said in a similar vein, describing it as “very significant that we have many Greek Americans being elected”.
On the other hand, a possible shift in the balance of power in Congress could limit Donald Trump’s room for manoeuvre at home and lead him to focus more on foreign policy. Such a development, according to the assessment voiced by the government team, could make efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East more difficult, particularly on the Iran front.
For Europe, prolonged geopolitical instability could translate into fresh pressure on energy prices and, in turn, a resurgence of inflationary pressures.