What Kind of Europe ...

Like any savvy traveler who finds himself in hostile territory, George W. Bush tends to seek out safe havens when he comes to Europe. In November 2003, as the insurgents' reign of terror was taking hold in Iraq, the President ventured as far as Britain, where Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Queen greeted him warmly; Bush never went near the streets full of protesters, let alone the Continent. Last June, before visiting Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-day, he dropped in on his ally Silvio Berlusconi in Rome — and the demonstrations were no less virulent. But this week, Bush is meeting the stroppiest of America's allies head on. In Brussels — the heart of the European Union and refusenik central for Washington's aggressive plan to rein in terrorists and bring democracy to the Middle East — he meets all 25 leaders of the E.U. member states, and dines with the refusenik in chief, French President Jacques Chirac. He promenades along the Rhine with German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, then moves on to Bratislava to exchange views, and perhaps a few soulful glances, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The smiles are sure to be broad, the backslapping hearty and, after the surprising success of Iraq's election, the leaders share more common ground than they have in years. Germany is training 500 Iraqi soldiers in the United Arab Emirates, and France says it is ready to train gendarmes. European soldiers are keeping the peace in Afghanistan, and even a Bush critic like Schröder knows that transatlantic cooperation is essential. "Most problems we are grappling with today can and will be solved only through real partnership with the U.S.," the German Chancellor told Time (see interview).

But no one has forgotten that deep differences remain. Last week, the Kyoto protocol on climate change came into effect without the support of America, the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases. The International Criminal Court, which the E.U. considers an ideal forum to deal with the slaughter in Darfur, is opposed by the U.S. And major disagreements persist over how best to stymie Iran's apparent intention to develop nuclear weapons, whether to lift the arms embargo on China, whether to sanction Syria for occupying Lebanon and aiding Iraqi insurgents and Hezbollah terrorists, and whether Europe should brand Hezbollah itself a terrorist organization. At the core of many of these issue is a basic bone of contention: whether foreign policy should be conducted with a carrot or a stick. But with the U.S. feeling the need for allies and the E.U. feeling its oats as a global player, European leaders have an even simpler question: Is America ready to treat the E.U. as more than an inconvenient obstacle? "It has to be a balanced relationship," European Commission President José Manuel Barroso told the Wall Street Journal . "We need to be an equal partner."

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