Europe Relieved This Will Be Shrub's Final EU-US Summit
Europe is breathing a sigh of relief as Bush prepares to attend his final EU-US summit meeting.
An analysis by David Cronin at IPS News states: "It is a safe bet that there will be no mass shedding of tears when U.S. President George W. Bush visits Slovenia to attend the final summit of his presidency between the European Union and the United States Jun. 10.
"During his two terms in the White House, trans-Atlantic relations proved so divisive for Europe that Donald Rumsfeld, the former defence secretary, famously characterised the continent as being split between 'old' and 'new'. The former, according to Rumsfeld, opposed the war against Iraq; the latter approved of it.
"Still, there appears to be a determination on both sides that Bush's swansong in Slovenia should not be marred by disharmony. Some contentious issues will be discussed: an 11-year-old EU ban on U.S. poultry imports, and the fact that the U.S. allows citizens of some EU states but not others to enter its territory without a visa. More sensitive topics, especially those relating to civil and political rights, look set to be avoided, however.
"Dimitrios Papadimoulis, a Greek left-wing member of the European Parliament, has urged the EU side to press Washington for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, the controversial prison camp in Cuba, and to demand an end to the secretive torture, detention and kidnapping programme run by the Central Intelligence Agency (allegedly with the cooperation of many European governments).
" 'The European Parliament wants Guantanamo closed down,' he said in a debate with representatives of EU governments and the European Commission. 'We also want secret prisons closed down. Are you going to say something about that to the Americans?'
"Neither the Commission nor the government of Slovenia, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, answered his question.
"Emilou MacLean, a staff attorney with the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in New York, suggested that the imminent departure from office of Bush offers no pretext for European reticence on Guantanamo.
"Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies at Britain's Oxford University, said this week that the "working assumption" in this continent is that both McCain and Obama would be "more multilateral" than the frequently isolationist Bush administration.
" 'Judging by his statements to date, Obama could be "a hell of a lot more multilateral," the professor added, and his election "would be greeted with an extraordinary welcome" in Europe."
And from ThinkProgress about Bush's final EU-US: "Asking Europeans if “the United States is overall a force for good or force for evil in today’s world,” a recent Daily Telegraph poll found:
Just like 75% of the American people, Europe can hardly wait for Bush to exit the White House and shuffle off to Dallas. And McCain is perceived as just a clone of Dubya.
An analysis by David Cronin at IPS News states: "It is a safe bet that there will be no mass shedding of tears when U.S. President George W. Bush visits Slovenia to attend the final summit of his presidency between the European Union and the United States Jun. 10.
"During his two terms in the White House, trans-Atlantic relations proved so divisive for Europe that Donald Rumsfeld, the former defence secretary, famously characterised the continent as being split between 'old' and 'new'. The former, according to Rumsfeld, opposed the war against Iraq; the latter approved of it.
"Still, there appears to be a determination on both sides that Bush's swansong in Slovenia should not be marred by disharmony. Some contentious issues will be discussed: an 11-year-old EU ban on U.S. poultry imports, and the fact that the U.S. allows citizens of some EU states but not others to enter its territory without a visa. More sensitive topics, especially those relating to civil and political rights, look set to be avoided, however.
"Dimitrios Papadimoulis, a Greek left-wing member of the European Parliament, has urged the EU side to press Washington for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, the controversial prison camp in Cuba, and to demand an end to the secretive torture, detention and kidnapping programme run by the Central Intelligence Agency (allegedly with the cooperation of many European governments).
" 'The European Parliament wants Guantanamo closed down,' he said in a debate with representatives of EU governments and the European Commission. 'We also want secret prisons closed down. Are you going to say something about that to the Americans?'
"Neither the Commission nor the government of Slovenia, the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, answered his question.
"Emilou MacLean, a staff attorney with the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) in New York, suggested that the imminent departure from office of Bush offers no pretext for European reticence on Guantanamo.
"Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies at Britain's Oxford University, said this week that the "working assumption" in this continent is that both McCain and Obama would be "more multilateral" than the frequently isolationist Bush administration.
" 'Judging by his statements to date, Obama could be "a hell of a lot more multilateral," the professor added, and his election "would be greeted with an extraordinary welcome" in Europe."
And from ThinkProgress about Bush's final EU-US: "Asking Europeans if “the United States is overall a force for good or force for evil in today’s world,” a recent Daily Telegraph poll found:
Anti-American sentiment still runs high [in Europe]. More people in France, Germany and Britain view the United States as a “force for evil” than good in the world, according to a poll last month for The Daily Telegraph newspaper of London.
"Moreover, its unclear whether Bush’s European friends are even interested in hearing what he has to say, as many seem to believe his second term as president cannot end soon enough:
– William Keylor, professor of international relations at Boston University says “Europe is waiting for Bush’s successor because the president remains unpopular with much of the public.”
– “To say Europeans will welcome U.S. President George Bush on his farewell visit to Europe next week would invite a charge of verb-abuse. Welcome is hardly the word. But they will be glad to see the back of him.”
– “Many [European leaders] are looking forward now to the next president,” said Julianne Smith, Europe analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"Indeed, the Telegraph poll also found that large majorities in Britain, France, Germany and Italy favor Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) over Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)."
Just like 75% of the American people, Europe can hardly wait for Bush to exit the White House and shuffle off to Dallas. And McCain is perceived as just a clone of Dubya.
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