Thanks Spybot

[Annie]

It brought this up, a blast from the past. In this case, the Chirac 'hope' for a counterweight vs. reality:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...05.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/11/05/ixnewstop.html

French call for stronger EU to keep America in check
By Ambrose Evans Pritchard and Toby Helm in Brussels
(Filed: 05/11/2004)

Tony Blair's hopes of healing the rift between Europe and America after the re-election of President George W Bush were quickly dashed yesterday, as France led calls for a rival European superpower to confront Washington.

The Prime Minister told fellow leaders at a European Union summit in Brussels that it was now time to "rebuild the relationship across the Atlantic" after bitter arguments over Iraq, the environment, trade and the Middle East peace process.

But "Old Europe's" political class seized on the election result to press for stronger EU institutions to counter US domination.

Reacting to Mr Bush's victory, Michel Barnier, the French foreign minister, said four more years of a unilateralist administration in Washington required Europe to develop its own diplomatic and defence machinery.

"Our world needs several powers. We are in the process of gathering the pieces and the will to become another power," he said. sorry PE, there is no hope for it. We may go down, but it won't be from France.

President Jacques Chirac heightened the tension by announcing that he would skip a lunch today with the Iraqi prime minister, Iyad Allawi, intended to bestow increased legitimacy on the Baghdad government in the build-up to elections early next year - ostensibly because of a funeral in the Gulf.

Mr Allawi irked Paris by giving warning that French opposition to the invasion of Iraq would not shield the country from terrorist attacks.
Get used to it Jacques, there are few countries that matter that are looking to France for help.

The lingering bad feelings are a disappointment for Mr Blair, who told his Cabinet yesterday that the re-election of Mr Bush offered another chance to advance the Middle East peace process, helping to create a greater sense of common purpose between Amierca and EU nations opposed to the war in Iraq.

"The Prime Minister does believe we need to use this as an opportunity to rebuild the relationship across the Atlantic," said Mr Blair's official spokesman.

Calls for Europe to accelerate its defence and foreign policy plans came from across the political spectrum yesterday.

Graham Watson, MEP, the leader of the European Liberal group, said Mr Bush had the effect of drawing Europeans together, making them more conscious of their own distinctive moral brand and view of the world.

"There are clear differences over Kyoto, the international criminal court, not to mention Iran and North Korea. There is a heightened perception that Europe is becoming a community of values rather than just a market, which is going to force Britain to decide which side of the Atlantic it is on," he said.Now that it's June, I think Britain has a pretty clear idea of which side of the Atlantic wields power, beyond themselves. UK has power, US has power. Does France? I guess in the Netherlands.

The European constitution signed with a fanfare in Rome last week creates a European foreign minister backed by an EU diplomatic service. Brussels already has a large military staff to co-ordinate a 60,000-man rapid reaction force which has been used in Balkans and central Africa.

The Norwegian prime minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik, said the outcome of the US election made it more likely his country would join the EU after holding out for 30 years.

He said the unilateralist policies of the Bush administration were driving Europe and America apart, making it harder for Norway to straddle the two blocs. "This debate is going to be opened up if the US continues to pursue a policy in which little importance is given to its alliance with Europe," he said.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the leader of the Greens in the European Parliament, said Mr Bush's victory made "Europe's role as a counterweight to the US ever more important".

Following confirmation of the US election result Goran Persson, the Swedish prime minister said it was inevitable that European politicians would continue to criticise Mr Bush.

"But I do not believe he will more willing to listen," he said.and here we are and I guess GW isn't listening. Is that a US failure or European? Seems US choice, EU failure.