Go East! Obama should travel to Europe By Annette Heuser “It’s the economy stupid.” Bill Clinton’s insight is likely to be weighing on the minds of the presidential candidates again these days. Whether it’s a recession or a cyclical downturn, the economic developments on both sides of the Atlantic - soaring inflation rates, financial-market turmoil and declining growth rates – have put American and European politicians on high alert. Like it or not, this age of globalization means no country can solve its economic problems alone. The trading relationship between the United States and the member states of the European Union, for example, is important and lucrative. The two partners are each other’s largest foreign investors; each invested $1.1 trillion in the other in 2006. In addition, 3.5 million Americans earning a total $194 billion are employed by EU companies. These figures are proof enough that Senator Obama should visit Europe. His trip to the United Kingdom, France and Germany will surely provide its share of campaign-enhancing photo ops. But gatherings with European heads of state the other side of the Atlantic will serve a far greater purpose. Europe has a longstanding relationship with John McCain. It must now get to know the other presumed presidential nominee. And Barack Obama can use the trip to deepen his relationship to Europe and start a process for a unified, trans-Atlantic approach to the wide range of challenges facing Europeans and Americans. American voters are in at least one way no different from their European counterparts. Both place greater emphasis on their own personal and financial security than on foreign policy. But good foreign policy contributes greatly to every American’s security. And stronger personal links between Senator Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will contribute greatly to the foreign policy of an Obama administration, should one come to pass. Europe does not play a big role as a topic of debate between the candidates. The continent is overshadowed in the campaign by crises such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is perhaps understandable, but it is neither right nor healthy for one of Washington’s most important international relationships. By visiting Europe, Obama demonstrates that he understands that hardships plaguing Americans have a long-term fix only in concert with their most important allies. Today’s faltering economies are a concrete example of this. New regulatory guidelines for the financial sector, less reliance on fossil fuels and more productive agricultural methods to help lower food prices – a unified trans-Atlantic front can help reach these goals. At the same time, the trip serves as an opportunity to sharpen Obama’s economic policies. Any lack of clarity on this issue would be seen as an Achilles heel at home and abroad. Both sides of the Atlantic would benefit from knowing more about his policy ideas. Go East, Senator Obama! Europeans and Americans have much to gain from your visit.
Annette Heuser is Executive Director of the Bertelsmann Foundation in Washington, DC.
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