Proving the old adage that no crisis should go to waste, the unelected European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, has called for Europe to “speak with one voice” at the G-20 summit to be held in London on April 2. It is reported that Americans and Europeans are at odds over whether to spend more or regulate more in the face of the global economic crisis. However, this grossly misrepresents the European picture; Europe itself is at odds over what to do. The Daily Telegraph has speculated that Brussels is afraid of London siding with Washington, and attempting to compel London to tow a distinctly European line.
This epitomizes what a future EU foreign policy will look like. It will be driven by unelected, unaccountable elites, intent on reigning in the United States, and resentful of the Anglo-American Special Relationship. The United States should therefore be very wary of relinquishing its transatlantic leadership role to the European Union.
However, as The Heritage Foundation’s Dr. Nile Gardiner states, Barack Obama will head to Britain and Europe for the G-20 & NATO Summits, with unprecedented enthusiasm for the creation of a federal Europe. This is a massive strategic error of judgment, which will harm President Obama’s chance of getting real business done with America’s most enduring bilateral allies.
