OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT JUNCKER

Europe does not know much about President-Elect Trump, other than he is a businessman. Most knowledge about him has come from mainstream U.S. media. However, the election result showed that those reports and descriptions about him have been to a large extent twisted. Europe must escape traditional information channels to understand Trump as President.

President-Elect Trump’s interests in governance are different from the previous President and his views on the world have not been kidnapped by Washington’s political elite. President-Elect Trump will incorporate business and grass-roots angles into the actual interests of the United States. President-Elect Trump is the very American leader who will make strides in reshaping major-power relations in a pragmatic manner.

President-Elect Trump is going to bring American’s attention back to economic development and social construction and make these fields the main emphasis of the work of the new government. President-Elect Trump’s experience and ideology match well with the new era.

Making demands before President-Elect Trump even takes office, making defamatory statements about President-Elect Trump and even ridiculing his knowledge of Europe is not a good start in making ‘friends’. Saying that "European leaders have to teach President-Elect Trump what Europe really is and how it works" is simply ingratiating oneself. Attempting to create an offensive attack thinking that somehow this will make the President-Elect cave is not very smart. I imagine President-Elect will not take such remarks lightly.

Disrespecting President-Elect Trump isn’t exactly the best game plan. Perhaps President Elect-Trump who has studied psychology or military practices and has read The Art of War could give European leadership a lesson in diplomacy.

Alienating the United States via President-Elect Trump is a stupid move. Biting the hand that feeds you is a stupid move.

Prerequisites for Successful Tact and Diplomacy

• Attentive Listening:  Ability to listen to not just what is being said but also how it is being said in order to understand, and react appropriately to, others. 
• Emotional Intelligence:  People with higher emotional intelligence can usually use tact and diplomacy more naturally in communication.  Emotional intelligence is a measure of how well we understand our own emotions and the emotions of others. 
• Showing Empathy: As an extension to emotional intelligence, empathy is one’s ability to see the world from another person’s perspective. 
• Assertiveness: The reason for using tact and diplomacy is often to persuade or influence others to think or behave in a certain way.  Assertiveness is fundamental to this process and a skill that many people lack. 
• Rapport: Rapport is closely linked to tact and diplomacy as well as emotional intelligence and good manners. 
• Politeness:  Being polite and courteous, respecting other people’s view-points and cultural differences is important in many interpersonal relationships.