NATO and the EU
The amazing thing about the Marshall Fellowship is access. This Fellowship gives us access to really interesting, and impressively high-level people. In the last two days we've heard from some really incredible conversations, meeting with very high-level folks in NATO and the European Commission.
It's interesting to see how much some concerns/tensions are shared in US and EU, and how others are completely different. For example, European states are struggling with the European Union's new supra-national powers, trying to create an acceptable balance of power between individual nation-states and the continental government (the conversations sound a lot like discussions about how much power the US federal vs state governments should have). Similarly, there is much talk of immigration, both in regards to the large flux of people from former European colonies (Morocco, Congo, etc), and from neighbors such as Hungary and Turkey - talk that mirrors conversations being had in the US regarding how to best integrate (or not) immigrants, with some of the exact same opportunities and concerns being raised.
One particularly interesting topic is the conversation around Turkey, which is being considered for EU membership. This is an area of much contention, not least because it would immediately be the largest (by population) country in the EU, and the first that is distinctly not Christian-majority (or at least historically so). Some with whom we meet argue it's imperative that it join the EU, as Islamic and Judeo-Christian societies must learn to live together, side by side, and this could be the best opportunity to do so. Others argue that it will lead to an overwhelming flow of immigrants, and could open the door to even more from its neighbors in the Middle East. It's a fascinating conversation, and one that reminds me a good deal of US arguments regarding Mexico.
Also interesting to discuss: the future of NATO. This organization was created to deal with mutual security threats; from conversations we've had, it seems to me that NATO is now in a position where it is both losing relevance (as more European states join the alliance, but many lose military capacity vis-a-vis the US) and gaining in potential value - as threats grow increasingly more global, complex, and generally requiring of multi-lateral action. It's a fascinating thing to think about.
We often ask how the US can improve relations with Europe, and what are areas of greatest concern to Europeans. While there have been a mix of answers generally, one topic comes ever to the fore: climate change. The Europeans with whom we've met universally cite the need for US leadership as the single biggest problem in Euro-American relations.
Finally, I've been fixated on innovation, and how the US and EU compare. That'll have to be a subject for another post, but... quite the interesting topic. I had an idea today that could be a lot of fun if I could find the right sponsor(s) here in the EU to pursue it. Climate change game anyone?
I'll leave this for now w/ a few pictures. Enjoy!
