On August 8, Martin Quencez joined France Culture's morning program to discuss what is at stake in the November 8 elections, both for the future of the U.S. and the world. He underlined that the U.S. elections will determine President Obama’s legacy, especially in terms of foreign policy, because the most symbolic successes of his presidency – the Iran deal, global climate change agreement, and normalization of relations with Cuba – would be at risk if the Republican Nominee Donald Trump wins the election. Ultimately, the way Obama will be seen by history will partly depend on Hillary Clinton becoming the next president.

Quencez also discussed the key differences between the possible “Clinton doctrine” and the “Trump doctrine,” highlighting that despite being often described as inconsistent, Trump truly believes the traditional alliances of the U.S. should be redefined. A Republican victory would directly affect the role of the U.S. in the world, and European partners, as well as Asian and Middle Eastern allies of the U.S., could be forced to fundamentally reconsider their security paradigm.

Finally, Quencez drew a parallel between the Trump phenomenon and the rise of populist movements in Europe. He used the Brexit campaign as an example to show some common attitudes on both sides of the Atlantic: the rise of anti-intellectual sentiment, the use of conspiracy theories in order to discredit the “mainstream” understanding of history, and the idea that political candidates can do anything, regardless of the institutional constraints or strategic interests of a nation.

Listen to the full interview in French, below: