The United States and the Western Europe: transatlantic drift or just another American-European crisis?

Abstract

The Cold War years are, at least in retrospect, often seen as the golden period in American-Western European relations. Yet crises were a nearly constant feature of the NATO relationship even in those years, so one might argue that the Atlantic relationship has never really had a golden period. However, the crises of those years were rather different from the situation today, for three general reasons. First, the Cold War is over, and terrorism is unlikely to be a major new unifying factor for the Atlantic allies. Second, American unilateralism is much stronger now than it has been in the past. Finally, there have been very important changes in Europe not appreciated on either side of the Atlantic. In total, there appears to be, and is likely to remain, a fundamental shift in the character of relations between America and western Europe, away from a relationship characterized by periodic crises and towards greater overall drift and distance between the Alliance partners. But despite the continued weakening of Atlantic ties, there will be limits to future transatlantic conflict and the drifting apart of Europe and America.