Spotlight on Kerry Euro-leanings

By David Cronin

Date: 09/09/04

SHORT of querying his war-hero status, the biggest insult Americans can fling at John Kerry is to accuse him of being too friendly with Europe.

That was the impression conveyed at the recent Republican convention in New York. Veteran Georgia Senator Zell Miller delighted delegates by alleging the Democratic presidential candidate would "let Paris decide when America needs defending". Miller, who has a history as the Democrat who delivered the keynote speech for Bill Clinton at a 1992 convention, is now supporting George W. Bush but the ferocity of his criticisms left commentators astonished. Kerry's aides promptly denounced the claims as groundless.

But is this apparent attempt to equate Kerry's Francophilia with appeasement of terrorism a sign that transatlantic relations will be an issue in the campaign preceding November's presidential election?

"I think they will figure prominently," says Charles Grant, from London think-tank the Centre for European Reform. "One of Kerry's selling points is that he will consult allies more, while I'm sure Republicans would say they're not going to lay around and wait for allies to make up their minds before acting in America's interests. But I don't think we will see a lot more Europe-bashing. A lot of Americans think it's not statesmanlike. That's why Bush has not gone in for it in the campaign so far; he's left it to others."

But lingering resentment among certain segments of US opinion about Jacques Chirac's opposition to military action in Iraq has had an impact on Kerry. Once given to impressing francophone journalists with his command of their language, he no longer speaks French in public lest his linguistic supremacy over Bush will be used against him. "There's been a lot of spoof and parody in which Kerry has been made out to be the French president," notes Rachelle Jailer Valladares, chairwoman of Democrats Abroad Worldwide. "You have to remember that France is still rather unpopular in the US. So I think that's why he's been downplaying things like the fact he speaks French.

"But we haven't seen him downplay his commitment to alliances, whether it's the EU, NATO or the UN. Instead of being the world's policeman, we really want to sit at the table and work with the EU and UN."

In a visit to Stockholm last month, former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright described Bush as "treaty-allergic" and blamed his doctrine of pre-emptive war for worsening transatlantic ties. Those relations would not improve, she predicted, unless he is removed from office. "I do not see our allies as Lilliputians trying to tie down Gulliver but as force multipliers and folks who can share the burden," she said.

However, Bush supporters believe it is simplistic to imply Kerry will be more sympathetic to the EU than the Texan. "I don't know if Kerry is pro-European because we have yet to see it if he is," says Henry Nickell from Republicans Abroad Germany. "He says he wants to engage more but I don't see what he would do differently.

"Anybody who listened to President Bush's speech [at his party's convention] would see that he understands very much the importance of transatlantic relations. But what can he do when allies say "No, no, no"? Should he back down? I don't think so."

Fraser Cameron, of the European Policy Centre, believes realpolitik is leading some top Republicans to be more measured when discussing Europe. "The White House knows they have to get on with France and Germany. They don't want to go into the old Europe/new Europe talk of last year because they know it's counterproductive," he said.

Article discusses US presidential candidate John Kerry's relation towards Europe.