Bush hopes to heal transatlantic rift
Trip to Europe will expose US leader to anti-American street protests
When US President George W. Bush travels to Europe this weekend he will be greeted by EU leaders eager to heal the transatlantic rift caused by the war in Iraq. But he will also encounter demands to revamp the Nato alliance, and massive anti-American street protests.
Extremely unpopular in Europe, Mr Bush chose the European Union for his first trip abroad in his second term with the aim of making a fresh start with some of the most vociferous opponents of the US-led war in Iraq.
Besides attending EU and Nato summit talks in Brussels, Mr Bush will also meet individually with the leaders of France, Germany and Russia during a whirlwind four-day tour starting on Monday. Many observers consider the European trip a symbolic gesture that Washington is now prepared to reach out to some of Mr Bush's toughest foreign policy critics.
'The mission is to make nice with Old Europe,' said Jeffery Gedmin, director of the Berlin office of US transatlantic think-tank the Aspen Institute. 'And the president wins points in Europe for going to Brussels. It means he takes the EU seriously as a partner.'
Although Mr Bush will not travel to France, he has agreed to a working dinner with French President Jacques Chirac in Brussels on the eve of his talks with EU officials. He will then travel to the southwestern German city of Mainz for a summit with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Mr Bush's last stop will take him to the Slovakian capital Bratislava, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After a few rocky years marked by confrontation and discord, officials on both sides of the Atlantic have been at pains to appear conciliatory in recent months. The new US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, poured on the charm in Europe as she paved the way for Mr Bush's visit earlier this month.
But even amid general agreement that tensions caused by Iraq should be left in the past, there are still several issues causing considerable friction.
Mr Schroeder ruffled some feathers last week by suggesting in a speech that Nato should be revamped to give the alliance a greater political component in order to better meet the challenges of the 21st century. After initial hesitation, European politicians are starting to agree.
Chief among Brussels' complaints are Washington's rejection of international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and the EU-supported International Criminal Court.
The Bush administration is critical of Europe's diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and the EU's inclination to lift its weapons embargo imposed on China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
'The embargo is probably the biggest issue on the agenda,' said Jan-Friedrich Kallmorgen, head of the transatlantic programme of the German Council on Foreign Relations. 'Bush will probably want a clear-cut agreement that Europe won't help modernise China's army.'
Although extremely well choreographed, Mr Bush's trip will not be only photo opportunities and handshakes. He is also certain to face large public protests in Belgium and Germany. German organisers of a collection of left-wing demonstrations dubbed 'Not Welcome Mr Bush' expect upwards of 10,000 people to descend upon the small town of Mainz.
Protest spokesman Andreas Atzl said the demonstrations were anti-Bush and not anti-American, adding European leaders needed to press Washington on issues like climate change and civil rights.
'We're against Bush's policies and not Europe's relations with America. Of course we have to talk to Bush, but it needs to be a critical dialogue,' Mr Atzl said.
