I was in the middle of the writing of my latest blog on the 2011 State of the Union, when I had the pleasure to read Finn’s analysis. Finn’s argument of Europe feeling leftover is absolutely valid and has been very popular in Europe, especially since the 2009 EU-US Summit wherein President Obama did not attend the meeting. However, I would tend to disagree with such approach.
President Obama presented on January 25, 2011 his State of the Union based on the themes of hope, future, social cohesion, and innovation. He also pointed out how the US could become more competitive in the upcoming decade and beyond by focusing on innovation. He called the US to find his ‘sputnik moment.’ Considering the actual world crisis and its impacts on the US economy – materialized through increasing violence against elected officials and police officers, divisive political rhetoric, high unemployment rate, poor education of the next American generation, decrepitude of the transportation system, and so forth – it made sense for President Obama to tackle Americans’ concerns.
Two additional themes were at the heart of his address: China and globalization, not Europe. Europe was not mentioned until the end of the State of the Union, when President Obama briefly tackled predictable foreign policy questions: Afghanistan, and international terrorism. He congratulated the Congress for ratifying the START Treaty, and expressed his desire to deepen US ties with NATO partners.
So what should Europe understand from this address? Since the election of President Obama, US foreign policy towards Europe can be summarized by one expression: burden-sharing. The US under Obama sees Europe as a stable region politically, economically and socially, which should be able to control its own destiny. And today, the US wants Europe to assume its role on the international stage. The War in Afghanistan is an example of such statement as the US has been calling for higher military commitments from EU Member States. The current EU mission, EUPOL Afghanistan, in charged of training the Afghan National Police has created tensions within the Euro-Atlantic community. Since the end of World War two, transatlantic relations have been under American supervision and protection. Throughout the Cold War, the European Union has evolved under the American military umbrella. Today, Europe is not under major threats, at the exception of eventual domestic terrorist attacks, and is not anymore at the heart of geopolitical interests. The pressing and emerging threats have shifted to Asia and the Middle East. The US is more concerned about China than Russia. Since the end of the Bush presidency, American strategy has been to contain as much as possible the rise of China and maintain American sphere of influence in the region. The new balance of power has shifted to the pacific region.
The message from the State of the Union that should be taken by Europe is clear: it is time for Europe to act as a powerhouse and assume its leadership across the board. Europe is and will always be the most reliable partner of the US. Europe can only strengthen its relations with the US by assuming its role on the international stage and control its destiny. It is time for Europe to end its adolescence crisis and become a mature international actor.
