Maybe a formula could be worked up to figure out how much time to spend with each given leader. Something like
[face time] = [size of latest crisis] * [population of country] * [economic rating of country]
Pakistan would probably come in pretty high on such a list, and maybe Norway, say, comes in pretty low. But maybe India also comes in low, too...
Other EU states also have strong bilateral ties with the US because they have strong ethnic ties to significant sections of the US electorate - e.g. Italy, Spain, Greece, Ireland etc. - but that has almost as much to do with the President's domestic US agenda rather than foreign policy per se.
The competence of the EU as a strong foreign policy actor in its own right is only emerging - witness strong divergences over Iraq etc. as recently as 5 years ago - and the Lisbon Treaty has only marginally increased EU competence and institutional focus on this.
There really is no equivalence - for the foreseeable future - between the EU and the US as a military or foreign policy actor even if there is gradually a more cohesive economic, fiscal and monetary policy determination at EU level.
US foreign policy analysts who bemoan the fact that Kissenger didn't know who to call when he wanted to talk to Europe are simply demonstrating their ignorance and arrogant distain of what Europe is about. When Kissenger or his successors called, it was usually to demand more troops to support US imperial adventures and I'm quite glad they often didn't know how to achieve instant fealty and compliance from Europe.
Americans make great play of the checks and balances within their own Constitution and expect everyone else to accept the "reality" that the President doesn't have 60 senate votes for Climate change etc. Fair enough. But then don't expect the EU to ride roughshod over the separation of powers between the EU Council, Parliament, and Commission and come up with instant responses to US imperatives. Index of Frank's Diaries
A senior aide to President Sarkozy of France said: "Obama does not come from the same tradition as his predecessors. He is interested in Asia and Russia, not Europe. There is no sense of a privileged relationship. They seem to take us for granted sometimes."
And yet, Obama has been to Europe 6 times in a year. (First trip: London, Strasbourg, Prague, Istanbul, Moscow, and Baghdad: Five European cities in one trip.) He hasn't been to Russia 6 times, or Asia, or South America.
European Tribune: Reasons for despair: this is a victory?
Gordon Brown scored a significant, morale-boosting diplomatic victory over French president Nicolas Sarkozy last night when Downing Street announced that he will be the first EU leader to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.
