An interesting wrinkle for those who care about summitry: Barack Obama’s visit to Europe in April will include Prague for what is being billed as the annual EU-USA summit. Normally this includes just the Commission, the USA, and the Council Presidency which of course is the Czech Republic at the moment. Last year’s summit was in Slovenia in June so they seem a little ahead of schedule. But more importantly, it won’t be just the 3 leaders –
After consulting the European Commission and the U.S. administration of President Barack Obama, Mirek Topolánek will invite the highest representatives of all 27 EU Member States to the EU-USA Summit.
Thus it’s going to be a big show, but presumably at the expense of getting much done with 28 heads of state/government and the Commission in attendance. It will get in a lot of “grip and grin” handshake photos for Barack Obama. Is this the format that the Obama team wanted to make worthwhile a visit to a “small” state?
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March 6th, 2009 at 4:47 am
I would read something into Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama visiting EU institutions.
The USA needs a united Europe as a partner in the world, although Europe as such is among the lesser troubles.
Sadly, the need seems to be greater than the ability of European leaders to forge an effective, democratic and solidary EU.
March 6th, 2009 at 4:53 am
typo in that cryptic last sentence?
March 6th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
It will get in a lot of “grip and grin” handshake photos for European leaders who want to be seen with Barack Obama.
If you were a slightly grey European head of state or government (and let’s face it, that’s pretty much all of them except Sarkozy when he brings the missus along) wouldn’t you want to be seen with the man who can bring 200,000 adoring fans to the streets of Berlin?
March 7th, 2009 at 12:57 am
[...] a post titled “They all want to meet him,” P O Neill of A Fistful of Euros writes this about the upcoming visit: An interesting wrinkle for those who care about summitry: Barack [...]
March 7th, 2009 at 1:25 am
[...] a post titled “They all want to meet him,” P O Neill of A Fistful of Euros writes this about the upcoming visit: An interesting wrinkle for those who care about summitry: Barack [...]
March 8th, 2009 at 5:49 am
[...] hafany mitondra ny lohateny hoe “Te-hihaona aminy daholo izy mianakavy.” dia izao no nosoratan'i P O Neill ao amin'ny A Fistful of Euros momba ity fitsidihana ho avy ity: Zavatra iray misarika [...]