Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger spoke to the Atlantic Community's partner organization, the World Security Network:
The Atlantic Community editorial team summarized his main arguments from the video interview above:
Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger has a different view on the transatlantic relationship than most--he's optimistic and believes that "we the Europeans" do not wish to live in disharmony with our American friends. While his children may have violently criticized certain American policy decisions, they are also deeply involved in American culture. Many young Europeans are delighted when they have a chance to study or live in the United States. We share the same fundamental values.
As we look at a new President, regardless of who that is going to be, there will be some kind of a honeymoon--a renaissance--of the transatlantic relationship. There will also be great willingness by European leaders to respond positively to whatever initiatives the next administration may propose. However, we shouldn't leave the initiatives to America. We Europeans should consider our own responsibility to develop strategic initiatives. We should explain to our American friends what our priorities are, and what we expect of them, and not just wait until they tell us what they expect of us. That is the kind of mature relationship that we should aspire to, where we give and take, and where America also gives and takes. That does not mean that American leadership is contestable, in fact for a long time to come, for military reasons, for political reasons, and for other reasons, the West will need to be led by America, but the West will be a better place if a stronger and more self-confident Europe can play a bigger role and carry a larger share in the common endeavor.
Wolfgang Ischinger is the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Court of St. James. Since early August 2007, he has also represented the European Union in the Troika negotiations on Kosovo.
This video interview was conducted by the Atlantic Community's partner organization, the World Security Network.
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July 22, 2008
Andreas Beckmann, Atlantische Initiative e. V., Silver Contributor (56)
However, I do not expect that "honeymoon" to last very long, at least not in terms of public (or: publicized) opinion in Europe.
If the Senator from Ilinois were elected, the current "Obamania" would end abruptly once Europeans realize that the new President can not make their fairytale dreams about international politics come true. And when Obama will demand a lot more tangible European contributions (as any new US President will), the manic affection here may very well turn into its opposite. Unanswered love can easily turn into hatred.
The convenient thing about Bush Jr. for the anti-Americans all around the globe is that he provides such an easy target for ignorants. Blame it all on America, discard all US claims and initiatives right away, and evade your own responsibility by finger-pointing at Washington. Once the - admittedly uncongenial - Bush Jr. administration is gone, that strategy may cease to work, and many people in Europe might suddenly see themselves deprived of their cheap (and self-awarded) "moral superiority", and instead asked to come up with real, credible, and tangible alternatives.
And that's where I would like to add two things to Ambassador Ischinger's statements.
Before "Europe" can become more assertive vis-avis our American partners without being laughed at, or being ignored, or causing a lot more irritated frowns in DC, Europeans will first have to:
1. agree on what they want, i.e. find realistic common assesments on important issues and speak on them with one voice in a timely manner,
2. substantially increase their tangbible efforts, e.g. defense spending, force modernization, and readiness to take over responsibility in areas where it really hurts.
I can't really see that either of these two prerequisites are imminent on this side of the Atlantic. So I'm afraid that the European Union is still far from playing the (desirable and necessary!) substantial role as a partner in leadership (who then could really be more assertive) which it has been playing in its own megalomaniac fantasies and corresponding lip service for more than a decade now.
Both the US and the EU are up for some more mutual disappointment once an administration enters office in Washington which can not be conveniently disregarded any more. It does not make much difference if Obama is the man, or McCain.
Much more hard work ahead for all those who understand that the EU and die US are sitting in the same boat, and can not prevail against today's and tomorrow's challenges without one another.