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A Europe split on US foreign policy

Does Europe have a common foreign policy - one that can be regarded as equal in weight to America's? Everyone knows the answer is 'no'. Maybe the problem is not the people of Europe, but the so-called elites of Europe - senior European Union officials, mainstream political leaders and press commentators.

Consult the people and it's a different story - one that has been taking shape since the massive marches all over Europe when the United States and Britain were preparing to invade Iraq. Then, there appeared to be a common - anti-war - European foreign policy.

This split, between a wide range of thinking people and the small crowd at the top, has not changed much over the five years of the war. Although Europe's elite will now say the war is a bad mistake, they still seem to cling to the notion that the world badly needs strong US leadership. This viewpoint is confirmed by a study just published by the University of Siena.

However, a study produced at the same time by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, of rank-and-file public opinion, tells another story. Eighty-eight per cent of Europeans want the EU to assume more responsibility for tackling global threats; yet they don't want European troops fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan or threatening war with Iran. Indeed, 77 per cent say they don't want Europe to send more troops into combat around the world.

So it's hard to see how European leaders can, in the long run, retain their rhetorical commitment to supporting Washington. According to the Marshall Fund poll, many Europeans don't expect the US to radically change its militaristic, America-first attitude after next year's presidential election.

Most people may not have read the essays in Foreign Affairs magazine by the leading candidates. But it is doubtful whether they would be surprised to know that Democratic challenger Barack Obama says the US 'must lead the world once more'; or that Republican Mitt Romney says 'radical Islam's threat is just as real' as those posed by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

One big problem is that the elites of Europe, led by the new leaders - Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Gordon Brown of Britain and Angela Merkel of Germany - are trying to smooth America's ruffled feathers. Instead, there is a need to educate American public opinion and leaders about how far, since September 11, the US has drifted from what most intelligent people regard as both sensible and doable.

There is still no sign of contrition in America for past sins: the irresponsible insouciance in the face of Israeli intransigence and settlement expansion; or the still-burning American resentment over the taking of American diplomats in Iran as hostages nearly 30 years ago.

Most Europeans are not interested in a crusade against Islam. America, despite the debacle of Iraq, gives the impression it still is. Are Europe's opinion 'leaders' truly tuned in to what their compatriots think? It seems not.

Jonathan Power is a London-based journalist

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