European officials get excited about Kamala Harris — but are still hedging their bets

• There's a renewed sense of excitement among European officials as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
• The U.S. election just '"got way more interesting," a senior EU diplomat told CNBC Monday.
• But despite the feeling that Harris has a better chance against Trump than Joe Biden, preparations for a potential victory by former President Donald Trump continue in Europe.

There's a renewed sense of excitement among European officials as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination ahead of the all-important election this fall.

The U.S. election just '"got way more interesting," a senior EU diplomat, who did not want to be named due to the political sensitivity of the topic, told CNBC Monday.

"[President Joe] Biden is a great man, with an impressive life behind him, but he is not the future," added an EU official, who also asked to remain anonymous. They also dismissed 78-year-old former President Donald Trump, adding that "the U.S. needs younger leaders."

Many in the EU recall dealing with Trump and his team between 2017 and 2021 when he was president of the United States. At the time, transatlantic ties slid to historic lows and the two sides clashed over trade, defense and technology — to name just a few points of tension.

As a result, EU institutions welcomed the arrival of Biden to the White House, describing it as a new chapter in the EU-U.S. relationship. Biden's style and policy priorities were a lot more aligned with those in Brussels, including how to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and the need to support Ukraine.

However, for at least a year now, EU officials have been preparing for the possibility of a