A Cowboy in Brussels

MY Washington taxi driver had heard the president’s speech in Brussels over the radio. He thought it had handled the Europeans well: Bush had set out to assure them of America’s goodwill, but had not made any substantial concessions on policy. It seemed to have succeeded-maybe because the Europeans themselves were less united than they sometimes appear. The enlargement of the European Union had brought in member states from eastern and central Europe; these wanted the economic benefits of EU membership, but also the security of the Atlantic alliance. They would therefore be reluctant to root all their foreign-policy decisions within the EU, preferring to keep the NATO link with the U.S. It was a complex situation, but that was useful in itself-since it gave Bush room to maneuver against the Franco-German axis.

Well, okay, the taxi driver was a Nigerian student with a master’s degree in international relations. Still, his analysis was more sophisticated than any on offer from the establishment media; I drew on it substantially in a TV appearance. Even so, it understated the real significance of Bush’s speech and his European trip—namely, that for the first time there are signs that the U.S. is beginning to respond intelligently and subtly but forcefully to the threat to American interests posed by the EU.

About the Author

John O’Sullivan

John O’Sullivan is a senior fellow at National Review Institute and a contributing editor of National Review.

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MY Washington taxi driver had heard the president’s speech in Brussels over the radio. He thought it had handled the Europeans well: Bush had set out to assure them of America’s goodwill, but had not made any substantial concessions on policy. It seemed to have succeeded-maybe because the Europeans themselves were less united than they sometimes appear. The enlargement of the European Union had brought in member states from eastern and central Europe; these wanted the economic benefits of EU membership, but also the security of the Atlantic alliance. They would therefore be reluctant to root all their foreign-policy decisions within the EU, preferring to keep the NATO link with the U.S. It was a complex situation, but that was useful in itself-since it gave Bush room to maneuver against the Franco-German axis.

Well, okay, the taxi driver was a Nigerian student with a master’s degree in international relations. Still, his analysis was more sophisticated than any on offer from the establishment media; I drew on it substantially in a TV appearance. Even so, it understated the real significance of Bush’s speech and his European trip—namely, that for the first time there are signs that the U.S. is beginning to respond intelligently and subtly but forcefully to the threat to American interests posed by the EU.