Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., June 13, 2008 Sivan 10, 5768 | | Israel Time: 20:27 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Last update - 00:13 03/06/2008
The end of the European left?
By Yossi Shain and Peter Berkowitz
Tags: angela merkel, europe, Israel 

Several fascinating phenomena can be observed as U.S. President George W. Bush's term nears its end. While it seems that conservative and neo-conservative ideology is losing strength in the U.S., these approaches are gaining ground in Western Europe.

The American conservative right is weakening, and seems to be having trouble formulating a clear ideology for the future. The major advantage of its proponent, Senator John McCain, is his personality, and not necessarily the ideas emanating from Bush's school of thought. In contrast, conservative political ideology is flourishing all over Western Europe, in countries where Bush recently was roundly criticized by politicians and intellectuals, to the point of open abhorrence.

Although large segments of the European public still evince an almost pathological hostility toward American foreign policy, there has been a marked rise of "American ideas" among European leaders. This is changing Europe's attitude from clearly anti-American to readopting the big brother across the Atlantic.
Advertisement
This is a dramatic process with far-reaching implications for world peace in general, the relations between West and East, and our region in particular. At the basis of the change are the victories of European leaders with conservative, pro-American world views. Thus in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi declared in his first speech to parliament after reelection that he sees Italy as a "major player in strengthening the friendship between Europe and the United States." Like him, French President Nicolas Sarkozy generated a quick change in relations between Paris and Washington. Sarkozy is the most pro-American president in the history of France. He argues that America is the center of the world, and is "the model and the vision to which France aspires."

Chancellor Angela Merkel is adopting a conservative approach in German domestic and foreign policy. She broadly backs the U.S., and is not concerned what America's enemies in Iran or even the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, will say. The conservatives are on the rise in England as well. In fact, we are seeing the development of a new European politics, in which European leaders are showing increasing sympathy for the U.S.

The new conservatism in Europe is guided by a number of significant internal factors: It seeks to strengthen the private sector and restrain the bureaucratic state; it wants to shore up expressions of identity and national honor; it rejects perceptions of radical "multi-culturalism" that have taken over the continent; it promotes the conservative idea that the most important foundation for the development of a productive individual is the nuclear family; it stresses the importance of slowing down immigration and the need to advance assimilation, particularly in the face of the wave of Muslim immigration.

Conservative ideology in Europe also derives from the "politics of fear" that have spread through the continent. It sometimes contains elements of extreme right-wing ideas, despite the efforts of conservatives to differentiate themselves from the far right.

On the question of foreign relations, Europe's conservatives are calling for a fight to the finish against jihadist terror. They vehemently oppose the "extreme" liberal school's "irresponsible" ideological cosmopolitanism and the left's unchecked socialism. They reject anti-Semitism and show growing empathy for Israel's needs.

For Israel and the Jewish world, this is indeed a real turning point. Above all, European conservatism recognizes that the U.S. is the unchallenged leader of the free world and everything possible must be done to preserve its stature.

It is unlikely that most of Europe's leftist and centrist intellectuals will stop attacking the U.S. for its human rights record any time soon, and will not cease demanding American global political power be scaled back. But America must also listen to the new voices coming from Rome, Berlin, Paris and London. These voices express victorious coalitions of voters who are worried about the weakening of the West, the awakening Chinese giant, the rise of autocratic Russia and the domestic Islamic threat.

Developments in Europe are also affecting U.S. domestic politics ahead of the November elections. In fact, they present a challenge to American conservatives, who instead of negating "old" Europe, will learn to identify the potential in renewed trans-Atlantic cooperation.

As far as Israel is concerned, the open sympathy European leaders are showing it is an opportunity to strengthen its position and to wisely involve Europe in the challenges it faces, particularly Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

Yossi Shain is head of the diplomacy program at Tel Aviv University. Peter Berkowitz is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Snoop Dogg in Israel
American rapper Snoop Dogg slated to perform in Ramat Gan.
Late date
Scientists revive 2,000-year-old date seed found at Masada.
  1.   Shallow analysis and wishful thinking....... 09:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  2.   They had their turn and failed throughout 10:09  |  Doctor Psy 21/05/08
  3.   The end of logic 10:18  |  JJ burke 21/05/08
  4.   Good, Now, When Will The Left In Israel Be Ousted? 10:21  |  Ben Israel 21/05/08
  5.   A difficult sell 10:31  |  Natallie Durson 21/05/08
  6.   ISRAEL SHOULD LIVE LONGER THAN EUROPE AND US 10:52  |  indrajaya 21/05/08
  7.   Are enough europeans frustrated and fed up is the question? 10:53  |  Dror 21/05/08
  8.   Europe is waking up 11:06  |  ScotGuy 21/05/08
  9.   If Fatah wants peace it should bolster Israel 11:11  |  x-ray 21/05/08
  10.   Quite right 11:13  |  x-ray 21/05/08
  11.   Eurostan versus Israstan 11:15  |  Harvey (Chaim) 21/05/08
  12.   The reasons are simply natural 11:19  |  TonyL 21/05/08
  13.   Europe - Center Right ahead 11:21  |  Reid 21/05/08
  14.   hm 11:33  |  cool 21/05/08
  15.   #1 You are quite right, Swiss Dino 11:48  |  Ben Alofs 21/05/08
  16.   Having a criminal dictarorship runs PA is not good for Israel 11:49  |  El-Birawi 21/05/08
  17.   Mr. Eldar 11:59  |  Choni Davidowitz 21/05/08
  18.   The Bush School of Thought..! 13:12  |  Stephen. 21/05/08
  19.   WHen the PA complies with.... 13:22  |  Jeff 21/05/08
  20.   Keep talking to yourselves 13:33  |  JJ Burke 21/05/08
  21.   Yes, boost the Terrorists led by the PhD of Shoah-Denial 13:38  |  Need Another Oslo 21/05/08
  22.   #1 Swiss....we do NOT need your advice 13:43  |  Lynn 21/05/08
  23.   In Christian Europe. First it was the Jews now the Muslims 13:45  |  El-Birawi 21/05/08
  24.   # 14 cool...the failure of multiculturalism 13:47  |  Lynn 21/05/08
  25.   # 15 Alofs...yes, must be all that resentment 13:52  |  Lynn 21/05/08
  26.   EU left is no buried 14:07  |  Manolo 21/05/08
  27.   EU CANDIDACY PROCESS ISLAMIZING TURKEY, NOT REFORMING IT 14:10  |  Secular Turk 21/05/08
  28.   Predictable analysis from conservative thinkers. 14:34  |  hubal 21/05/08
  29.   SWISS DINO: well-written thorough explanation on TRUE democracry 14:46  |  AliciaYasmeen 21/05/08
  30.   EL-Birawi #23: there`s no "Christian" Europe, El-Birawi, - 15:03  |  ivo 21/05/08
  31.   cool #14: the article was talking about the political leadership 15:13  |  ivo 21/05/08
  32.   Just taking Germany as an example: 15:24  |  Axel 21/05/08
  33.   What would the left do after redistribution of wealth? 15:26  |  17 21/05/08
  34.   # 23 El-Birawi - Jews never bombed Europe... 15:28  |  17 21/05/08
  35.   Dino #1: the article is not inaccurate - 15:33  |  ivo 21/05/08
  36.   Wisely ... 15:33  |  Axel 21/05/08
  37.   Swiss(Dino)#1 You are quite correct 15:35  |  hubal 21/05/08
  38.   Nonsense: Merkel is trading with Iran and supporting regime 15:39  |  Elly 21/05/08
  39.   A naive article 15:43  |  Keith T 21/05/08
  40.   Boy oh boy Swiss Dino 15:48  |  Buzaglow 21/05/08
  41.   The Fall of the Right Nation 16:05  |  El-Birawi 21/05/08
  42.   Italy 16:27  |  Jeremiah 21/05/08
  43.   The Left had its black day and must confine to ancient 16:29  |  Akram Zekaria 21/05/08
  44.   It is true Jews did not bomb Europe 16:38  |  El-Birawi 21/05/08
  45.   dino the swiss roll doesnt know the difference between democracy 16:55  |  victor hardman 21/05/08
  46.   BEN ISRAEL No4 Has Reason about Israelis leftist 17:11  |  michael darmon 21/05/08
  47.   Lynn, (Swiss) Dino is right, unless Obama really makes a change 17:14  |  Mark B. 21/05/08
  48.   Eldar the Moron - He Thinks Noboby Remembers ? 17:17  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/05/08
  49.   Akram Zekaria singing the praise of Darwinism? 17:22  |  examiner 21/05/08
  50.   Too Bad the Israeli Left Still Runs Israel 17:24  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/05/08
  51.   # 15 Ben Alofs 17:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  52.   # 22 Lynn 17:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  53.   # 29 Alicia Yasmeen 17:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  54.   Lynn I think that Dino is one of your ancestors 17:52  |  x-ray 21/05/08
  55.   El-Birawi #41,44: funny ideas - 17:55  |  ivo 21/05/08
  56.   # 29 Alicia Yasmeen...which American University 17:58  |  Lynn 21/05/08
  57.   # 41 El-Birawi -"brining an idiot the White House" 18:03  |  17 21/05/08
  58.   # 35 ivo 18:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  59.   # 47 Mark B .......Of course it is easier 18:14  |  Lynn 21/05/08
  60.   So wrong... 18:14  |  RFE 21/05/08
  61.   x-ray ~54 18:18  |  gamma ray 21/05/08
  62.   # 37 hubal 18:18  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  63.   #43 Akram Zekaria; time to educate yourself 18:26  |  AliciaYasmeen 21/05/08
  64.   # 38 elly 18:28  |  elly 21/05/08
  65.   # 40 Buzaglow 18:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  66.   # 52 Swiss....my ancestors were driven out 18:29  |  Lynn 21/05/08
  67.   axel germany is an example of what? 18:31  |  darcy 21/05/08
  68.   # 45 victor hardman 18:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/05/08
  69.   Mark B #47 Don`t raise your hopes too high. 18:33  |  examiner 21/05/08
  70.   x-ray...Swiss has always said 18:33  |  Lynn