Commentary
Judy Dempsey
{
"authors": [
"Judy Dempsey"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie Europe"
],
"collections": [
"Transatlantic Cooperation"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Europe",
"North America"
],
"topics": [
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Europe and Obama
Europeans prefer Barack Obama to Mitt Romney, but, whoever wins in November, America is turning its gaze eastward.
By Judy Dempsey
Published on Jul 9, 2012
Source: New York Times
As I write in my latest Page Two column: Romney’s ideas and policies have raised hackles in many European capitals. “Romney in the White House would be bad news for Europe,” one high-ranking European diplomat told me.
The Europeans support the Democrats, mostly for cultural and historical reasons. The Democrats are mostly secular in outlook and believe the state has much more of a role to play in providing some basic services than the Republicans.
That is why Europeans found it difficult to understand why the Republicans were so against Mr. Obama’s plans for mandatory health insurance.Europeans also find it very difficult to relate to the growing role of religion among American conservatives. They have not forgotten how former president George W. Bush justified the war in Iraq as a war against evil. They also see how the Christian right exerts huge influence when it comes to Israel.
But for all the differences, the Europeans may discover after next November that the Democrats and Republicans have a few things in common.
Both worry about China, and so will shift U.S. foreign policy towards Asia.
Both are no longer willing to foot the bill for European security and NATO’s inefficiencies.
And whatever Republicans might say, there is no longer the appetite or the money for any more big military campaigns.
The Europeans have yet to take stock of such shifts in the transatlantic relationship.
About the Author
Judy Dempsey
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe
- Europe Needs to Hear What America is Saying
- Babiš’s Victory in Czechia Is Not a Turning Point for European PopulistsCommentary
Judy Dempsey
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Europe and the Arab Gulf Must Come TogetherCommentary
The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.
Rym Momtaz
- Why Has Kazakhstan Started Deporting Political Activists?Commentary
The current U.S. indifference to human rights means Astana no longer has any incentive to refuse extradition requests from its authoritarian neighbors—including Russia.
Temur Umarov
- Iran’s Northern Neighbors Are Facing Fallout From the War, TooCommentary
The conflict is threatening stability in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Zaur Shiriyev
- The Iran War Is Also Now a Semiconductor ProblemCommentary
The conflict is exposing the deep energy vulnerabilities of Korea’s chip industry.
Darcie Draudt-Véjares, Tim Sahay
- Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?Commentary
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
