The EUs Great Game

John Rosenthal points us to a article by Ulrich Speck writing for the American Future blog.

«For France, it's all about "realist" politics in the old European manner: world politics is about the struggle for spheres of influence. The latest example of this kind of destructive, anti-American politics is Darfur: French diplomacy has tried to put Washington into a position where it would be blamed for inaction against the genocide. Wisely, Washington has decided to send the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The result is that nobody is trying to stop the killers the ICC is the wrong instrument for that. (By the way, Darfur is barely mentioned in the Western European press.)»

«Since 2002, Schröder and Chirac have done everything they can to build an anti-American alliance. When they talk about "multilateralism," they mean fighting American influence worldwide. When Washington sides with Taiwan, they try to get Bejing on their side. When the US liberates Iraq, they try to "get" Iran. And so on. There is a Great Game going on. They have Putin on board. Today, Schröder and Putin were jointly interviewed by Bild, the largest circulation newspaper in Germany. Multilateralisms center is Paris and Berlin. Then comes Moscow. And Madrid. The multilateralists are wooing Beijing, but the Chinese don't trust Paris and Berlin. The EU is too weak to get the Chinese weapons sanctions lifted. Teheran loves to play its game with both the EU and China.»

«Even so, the Paris-Berlin alliance shouldnt be underestimated. Even if its power is purely negative -- anti-US -- it can still do a lot of damage. Take the greater Middle East: when Paris and Washington work together as in Lebanon - they can do a great job. The US needs the EU if it wants to succeed in its big projects. European resistance to American policies can raise the costs to a very high level, as in Iraq. Europeans are crucial when it comes to the question of legitimacy. And without legitimacy there is no power - not in the long term. If people judge power to be illegitimate, they will ultimately fight it.»

«If the CDU and FDP win, Dominique de Villepin can write as many books as he wants, but his dreams will never come true. The French fantasy of a world governed by France will turn out for what it is in the real world: a wonderful dream for the French. And a nightmare for everybody else.»