Diplomacy of Hope: Transatlantic Relations in the Transition from Trump to Biden

Despite advances in the study of emotions in international relations, we have a limited understanding of the role hope plays in diplomatic practice. We draw on the scholarship on emotions in IR and psychological studies on hope to theorize the workings of hope in diplomacy. We argue that in times of political change, states are more likely to resort to a novel type of diplomacy—diplomacy of hope—to shape their future relationship. We illustrate our argument with a qualitative content analysis of Twitter communication by high-ranking officials in the Biden administration and the EU after the 2020 US election. We find that both parties engage in diplomacy of hope, expressing enthusiasm, promising to renew the transatlantic relationship, and reaffirming their mutual commitment to achieve common goals. Yet the two parties’ strategic discourses diverge in their preferred pathways to cooperation and their proposed renegotiation of global leadership roles.