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Monday marksthe100th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher’s birth – an occasion that brings together leadersandsupporters from acrosstheAtlantic to pay tribute to her life.
We attheRonaldReaganPresidentialFoundation&Instituteare honored to participate inthecelebration, an occasion that also invites us to reflect on her legacyandconnection withRonaldReaganinthecontext of our modern era. Namely, what made her partnership with PresidentReaganso effective,andwhat might it teach us today about how civility can shape world affairs?
RonaldReaganandMargaret Thatcher’s effectiveness – both in dealings with each otherandin other world leaders with whomthey were less naturally aligned – depended on trustandcivility. In today’s divided political world,their example is one we can all learn from.
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher photographed in London in 1980. (AP Photo/Gerald Penny, File)
When we think ofthetwo leaders, we tend to picture strength: two leaders who stood firm against communism, championed free marketsandrestored confidence intheWest. But PresidentReaganalso believed that personal relationships were central to politics. In a 1989 letter inNational Review,he crystallized that sentiment as follows: “personal relations matter more in international politics thanthehistorians would have us believe.”
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That wasthecore of his approach: eventhehardest negotiations work best when leaders see each other as partners, not just opponents. It doesn’t mean that personal relationships supersede national interest – great leaders have to be unwavering at times – but it does mean that a key component of good diplomacy istheability to remain civilandacknowledge others’ humanity, bethey adversaries or allies.
President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at the Palace of Versailles, France, on June 6, 1982. (AP Photo/ File)
Margaret ThatcherandRonaldReagan’s leadership in Soviet Union dealings demonstrates this principle in action. For instance, when Mikhail Gorbachev emerged ontheworld stage, Thatcher chose to approach him as a person worthy of negotiation rather than a caricature of Soviet power. “We can do business together,” shepragmatically asserted.Andshe was right. Thoughtheir visions fortheir country were vastly different, grounding Soviet negotiations in respectandpractical assessment made diplomacy possible.
Importantly, PresidentReaganandPrime Minister Thatcher never abandoned principle for politeness.They were strong leaders, firmanduncompromising intheir convictions. But civility gavethemtheleverage to achieve what force or rhetoric alone could not.
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Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher makes remarks after visiting President Ronald Reagan at the White House on July 17, 1987. (AP Photo/DPA, Howard L. Sachs, File)
TheINF Treaty,thefall oftheBerlin Wall,andtheeventualend oftheCold Warall depended on this kind of disciplined, strategic civility. Leaders could disagree sharplyandeven spar aggressively, butthey never allowed that disagreement to destroy trust or get intheway of progress.
Civility is not a moral high road, it’s a tool. It allowedthese leaders to be candid with each other, trustingthey would be received with understanding –andcreatingthestrongfoundationwhich underpinnedtheU.S.andU.K. alliance.Then as now, civility creates space for honest conversations. It allows important initiatives to move forward without unnecessary friction.
British Conservative Party Leader Margaret Thatcher listens to a reporters question during a press conference at the British Embassy in Washington on Sept. 14, 1977. (AP Photo/File)
Today, that lesson is urgent.TheUnited Statesandour democratic allies face pressure from resurgent authoritarian powers, global instabilityanddomestic polarization.Theinstinct to respond with anger or mistrust is strong. But history shows that enduring securityandprogress come from discipline, mutual respectandtheability to maintain civility even under pressure.
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Andin times of global tension, reinforcing alliances matters more than ever. We saw this exemplifiedbyPresident Donald Trump in his recent meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where hedeclared, “We have a relationship like no other… we will always be united.” His statement embodiestheReagan-Thatcher alliance at its best. This disposition is a precursor to any constructive discussions about advancing securityandstability, especially when it comes to complex issues such asthese.
President Ronald Reagan greets British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as she arrives by helicopter at Camp David. (Getty Images)
PresidentReaganandPrime Minister Thatcher remind us that civility is not deference; rather, it is a practical strategy for getting things done. As we remember Margaret Thatcher on her 100th birthday, we should also remembertheexample she set. Civility enabled both leaders to be effectiveand, ultimately, to shape history. In a world full of uncertaintyanddivision,their legacy remains as essential now as it wasthen.
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Frederick J. Ryan Jr. is the chairman of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, and director of the Ronald Reagan Center on Civility and Democracy.