What Happened to "Europe"?
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6
"Geopolitical reality tends to change far more slowly than perceptions of it. To take a geophysical analogy: Underlying trends are like plate tectonics, slow to develop but irresistible over time; perceptions are like the weather, sometimes dramatic, often unpredictable and hardly irrelevant, but of lesser impact all the same. Perceptions of Europe have shifted markedly in just the past few years. Where once stood an attractive post-nationalist model of peace, prosperity, social justice and ecological virtue now stumbles a larger but seemingly aimless and far more ungainly project. Europe today seems apathetic about its achievements, confused about its future and largely ignored by those not directly affected by it. Thanks to the financial crisis and its meandering aftermath, Europe’s problems and limits seem lately to have accumulated into a genuine crisis."
- A Crisis of Wishing
Laqueur, Walter
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6, pp6-9, online edition
"Europe used to be, within the living memory of many of us, the cockpit of world power, prosperity and prestige. Today it is raw material for an ouija board. Predictions about Europe’s future range from its impending suicide to its emergence as a unified, leading economic and political superpower. Of late most predictions, especially those coming out of Europe, have been on the dour and pessimistic side, and for good reason."
Walter Zeev Laqueur is an American historian and political commentator.
- Hubris Hurts
Hassner, Pierre
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6, pp9-10
"Is Europe becoming interesting again? A few years ago, in the eyes of some Americans at least, it was basking in a comfortable yet boring “paradise”, having abandoned national sovereignties in favor of supranational institutions and left security to the protection of martial American power against a dangerous world. Today it looks to be on the verge of collapse, torn by acrimonious divisions both among its member states and within those states’ respective societies."
Pierre Hassner is research director emeritus at the National Foundation for Political Science in Paris. Order article F7a/02-10
- Drifting and at Risk
Burt, Richard
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5,#6, pp11-12, online edition
"For a host of reasons, the European project, one of the most impressive international achievements of the past fifty years, is in deep crisis. “Malaise”, a word made famous by President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, now seems the most apt description of the European Union’s mood."
Richard Burt, a former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, is managing director at McLarty Associates, an international advisory firm.
- Diversity Wins Out
Stürmer, Michael
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6, pp13-15
"Is Europe a global actor? The short answer is that the European Union is punching below its weight, and the Europeans have no one to blame for this state of affairs but themselves. European politicians got so good at pretending that the impossible was around the corner—a functioning federal union—that they ended up fooling themselves."
Michael Stürmer is chief correspondent of WELT-Gruppe in Berlin. He was an adviser to former Chancellor Kohl. Order article F7b/02-10
- The Models of Model
Volker, Kurt
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6, pp16-17
"Why does the world today no longer see Europe as a model, as it seemed to do only a few years ago? It's simple: the world can't be expected to believe in a European model that Europeans don"t seem to believe in themselves."
Kurt Volker is senior fellow and managing director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at John Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. Order article F7c/02-10
- A Retired Power
Krastev, Ivan
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6, pp17-19
"As it stands now, Europe has lost its self-confidence, its energy and its hopes that the next century will be the “European century.” From Beijing to Washington—and even in Brussels it-self—the Old Continent is widely viewed as a spent geopolitical force, as a great place to live but not a great place to dream."
Ivan Krastev is chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia and a fellow in the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.
- Beyond the Atlantic
Orenstein, Mitchell A.
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5, #6, pp19-21
Since Barack Obama came to power, many Republicans have been busy painting him as a socialist and decrying his Administration for attempting to turn America into a European social welfare state. They seem, at least, to have a point. The United States has been adopting policies (or trying to) that look suspiciously European: nationalization of key industries, comprehensive health care reform, enhancements to the social safety net, state-directed investments, and a foreign policy based on arms reduction and consensus. Just how far will America travel down this path?
Mitchell A. Orenstein is S. Richard Hirsch Associate Professor of European Studies at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.
Order article F7d/02-10
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Decision Time
Palacio, Ana
American Interest, July/August 2010, v5,#6, pp21-24
"The Obama Administration’s apparent snubbing of Europe notwithstanding, Transatlantic relations still matter enormously to both sides. [...] We need a mature bond of kindred civilizations devoted to advancing the principles we share, rooted in reality and in the independent capacities of both partners, that will last."
Ana Palacio is a lawyer specializing in European law. She has served as Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain and has held different senior positions in the EU institutions.
F7/02-10, posted June 21, 2010
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