Much of what Obama proposes to do much of Europe has been doing anyway - wind energy, greater public health provision, climate change mitigation, public transport enhancement, human rights, multi-lateral diplomacy etc.

Those leaders most complicit in the Neo-con project - Blair, Aznar have gone, but some inclined that way - Berlusconi, Sarkozi, Kaczynski, Klaus - are still in power.

The bigger problem is where we go from here - the EU is near paralysed by the Lisbon impasse and by disagreements between Merkel and just about everyone else as to how to deal with the economic crisis.

The problem is not so much with leaders as with a lack of institutional capability to provide leadership amongst such a diverse set of 27 distinct polities and little common demos or direct electoral legitimacy..

notes from no w here