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On Defense, France Bites the Bullet, But Avoids Strategic Insolvency May 7, 2013
Iceland’s Recovery Saga Presents Opportunities for Brussels, Washington—and Beijing May 6, 2013
Which Way Forward for Europe’s Hybrid Regimes? May 2, 2013
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Andrew Light Speaker Tour in Europe May 14, 2013 / Berlin, Germany; Brussels, BelgiumGMF Senior Fellow Andrew Light participated in a speaking tour in Europe to discuss opportunities for transatlantic cooperation on climate and energy policy in the second Obama administration.
In this podcast, GMF Vice President of Programs Ivan Vejvoda discusses last month's historic agreement to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Anchor Elaine Reyes speaks with Andrew Small, Transatlantic Fellow of the Asia Program for the German Marshall Fund, about Beijing's potential role in brokering peace between Israel and Palestine
The Limits of a Popular American President
October 12, 2010 / Zsolt Nyiri
RealClearWorld
The popularity of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate in 2008 rivaled rock stars in Western Europe. His election as president of the United States suggested that he would open a new chapter in the U.S.-European relationship. This is certainly true, to a degree. The desirability of American leadership greatly improved in Europe, together with European approval of the American president, after years of strain under the previous administration. But Europeans' initial euphoria about the Obama presidency, reflected in early polling data and his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, was a product of his inspirational rhetoric and spoke more for the hope they put in him rather than for any real achievements.
Now, 18 months into the Obama presidency, the European public has issued its first meaningful report card on Obama's accomplishments. It describes the limits of a still very popular American president.
The new 2010 Transatlantic Trends survey of 11 European Union countries and the United States by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Compagnia di San Paolo, and several European foundation partners, shows that Obama's overall approval remains high in the EU countries surveyed (78%), despite a slight decline from last year's 83%. The endurance of his high approval in Europe is good for America's image. But does this confirm a new era of transatlantic cooperation on today's most pressing foreign policy concerns such as Iran and Afghanistan? Did this Obama-mania in Europe lead to converging opinions about how to address the specifics of a host of global challenges? Unfortunately, a popular American president might be a necessary first step toward transatlantic convergence, but is clearly not sufficient.
For full aricle, please see RealClearWorld
