Of the many books analyzing transatlantic relations, at a time when global power is undeniably shifting away from the West to the rest of the world, Stefan Fröhlich's book, based on his research as a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, stands as a useful reminder of the importance of deliberate cooperation between the two regions.
At 324 pages and seven chapters, "The New Geopolitics of Transatlantic Relations: Coordinated Responses to Common Dangers" delves into the similarities and differences of EU and US foreign policy responses to common challenges and problems. In his view, though the Euro-Atlantic community agrees on strategic threats in the realm of hard security, thereby creating new incentives for cooperation, they often fall short in reaching a consensus on how to curb such threats.
Similar to many other analysts who have become increasingly preoccupied with the notion that the transatlantic relations are undergoing fundamental changes (even deterioration) after the end of the Cold War and, most recently, the invasion of Iraq, Fröhlich explores the reasons for the inability of the two sides to shape a common global vision and economic order, despite successes in previous endeavors and shared values and interests.
By examining the transatlantic agenda under the Obama administration, Fröhlich finds that the partnership is taking a more pragmatic form (albeit a fairly optimistic view), resting as it does on a broad strategic agreement and coalitions-of-the-willing style engagements from different alliance members. The new geopolitical realities, according to him, will call for a common global strategic outlook by the transatlantic community. Indeed, Washington and Brussels cannot escape their shared vulnerabilities from external pressures. On occasion, however, both sides of the Atlantic will have difficulties reaching an agreement. Although the value of the partnership will be dependent on how each side views the other's abilities and willingness to contribute to tackling the challenges (somewhat of a cost-benefit relationship), the transatlantic partnership, writes Fröhlich, is more pertinent than ever.
In this light, the author provides a road-map to navigate the challenges and problems confronting a more effective and pragmatic transatlantic partnership by offering a multidimensional perspective on the geo-political, -strategic and -economic trends in transatlantic relations. Therein lie the book's main strength.
Paradoxically, this holistic approach is also the book's weakness. By covering too much ground - a rising China, re-assertive Russia, nuclear-ambitious Iran, protracted conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the world financial and economic crisis, and energy security (to name a few) - the policy recommendations crafted by the author, though plausible and relevant to transatlantic relations, seem often familiar and broad. Consequently, they pale in comparison to the other parts that dwell more on where the EU and US stand on these issues.
Though the structure could use some work, this book constitutes a useful introductory work on the Euro-Atlantic community under the Obama presidency and may interest students of transatlantic relations due to its broad overview, especially for those interested in the EU. At the same time, it is important to note the scope and limitation of this book; Fröhlich's analysis restricts itself to EU-US ties, excluding the dynamics of individual EU countries' bilateral channels with the US, rising countries and other problematic states.
Overall, when choosing this book, expect a snapshot analysis of every topical issue confronting the transatlantic community with policy recommendations dispersed throughout the book aimed at furthering a more pragmatic transatlantic relationship in a post-American world.
Ramin Rezai is an editor at atlantic-community.org.
Order The New Geopolitics of Transatlantic Relations: Coordinated Responses to Common Dangers from Amazon.com or Amazon.de
Of the many books analyzing transatlantic relations, at a time when global power is undeniably shifting away from the West to the rest of the world, Stefan Fröhlich's book, based on his research as a public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, stands as a useful reminder of the importance of deliberate cooperation between the two regions.
At 324 pages and seven chapters, "The New Geopolitics of Transatlantic Relations: Coordinated Responses to Common Dangers" delves into the similarities and differences of EU and US foreign policy responses to common challenges and problems. In his view, though the Euro-Atlantic community agrees on strategic threats in the realm of hard security, thereby creating new incentives for cooperation, they often fall short in reaching a consensus on how to curb such threats.
Similar to many other analysts who have become increasingly preoccupied with the notion that the transatlantic relations are undergoing fundamental changes (even deterioration) after the end of the Cold War and, most recently, the invasion of Iraq, Fröhlich explores the reasons for the inability of the two sides to shape a common global vision and economic order, despite successes in previous endeavors and shared values and interests.
By examining the transatlantic agenda under the Obama administration, Fröhlich finds that the partnership is taking a more pragmatic form (albeit a fairly optimistic view), resting as it does on a broad strategic agreement and coalitions-of-the-willing style engagements from different alliance members. The new geopolitical realities, according to him, will call for a common global strategic outlook by the transatlantic community. Indeed, Washington and Brussels cannot escape their shared vulnerabilities from external pressures. On occasion, however, both sides of the Atlantic will have difficulties reaching an agreement. Although the value of the partnership will be dependent on how each side views the other's abilities and willingness to contribute to tackling the challenges (somewhat of a cost-benefit relationship), the transatlantic partnership, writes Fröhlich, is more pertinent than ever.
In this light, the author provides a road-map to navigate the challenges and problems confronting a more effective and pragmatic transatlantic partnership by offering a multidimensional perspective on the geo-political, -strategic and -economic trends in transatlantic relations. Therein lie the book's main strength.
Paradoxically, this holistic approach is also the book's weakness. By covering too much ground - a rising China, re-assertive Russia, nuclear-ambitious Iran, protracted conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the world financial and economic crisis, and energy security (to name a few) - the policy recommendations crafted by the author, though plausible and relevant to transatlantic relations, seem often familiar and broad. Consequently, they pale in comparison to the other parts that dwell more on where the EU and US stand on these issues.
Though the structure could use some work, this book constitutes a useful introductory work on the Euro-Atlantic community under the Obama presidency and may interest students of transatlantic relations due to its broad overview, especially for those interested in the EU. At the same time, it is important to note the scope and limitation of this book; Fröhlich's analysis restricts itself to EU-US ties, excluding the dynamics of individual EU countries' bilateral channels with the US, rising countries and other problematic states.
Overall, when choosing this book, expect a snapshot analysis of every topical issue confronting the transatlantic community with policy recommendations dispersed throughout the book aimed at furthering a more pragmatic transatlantic relationship in a post-American world.
Ramin Rezai is an editor at atlantic-community.org.
Order The New Geopolitics of Transatlantic Relations: Coordinated Responses to Common Dangers from Amazon.com or Amazon.de
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