What Obama Needs from Europe

On his arrival at the White House, Barack Obama didn’t have Europe at the heart of his agenda. His attention was turned towards the Pacific, and upon China in particular. Compared to the world’s new supergiant, the Old Continent was of secondary importance to him and posed few problems.

Things have changed since then. It is, therefore, in a different frame of mind that the American president today begins his European tour. After his trip to Ireland, tracing his Irish roots, he will have to strengthen ties with America’s traditional ally, Britain. The harsh words that he addressed to British Petroleum during the Gulf of Mexico disaster have left a bitter taste on the banks of the Thames. Then it will be on to the G8 at Deauville, France, before a visit to Poland, seat of the future American anti-missile defense system, much to Moscow’s trepidation.

The financial crisis, Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, the Middle-East: There is no shortage of issues that have shown the United States that they can no longer snub their most loyal partners. Better still, the Europeans are today in a position to say to them, “We’re doing the job; take a closer look, Barack Obama. What are you going to do?”

And that’s just how it went in the Libyan intervention…