The whole world is watching as the United States prepares to elect its next president. This man or woman will be chosen by Americans, but his or her choices will affect billions. Let us not take the tree for the forest, however. The current U.S. administration has certainly polarized emotions, but it would be a mistake to think that everything will change on Jan. 20, 2009.
For all their differences, and for all the tensions these differences create, the simple fact is that neither the United States nor Europe has another partner with the capability and the political will to act to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.
For France, multilateralism did not come easily. We have learned the hard way that common rules agreed to by all, and respected by all, are the most effective means to secure our interests—by combining legitimacy and efficacy. Multilateralism is not a slogan; it is an imperative. Of course, this implies that when the common rules are broken, or ignored, the violator must pay a price. Whether we are speaking of international criminal justice or nuclear nonproliferation, impunity is not an option. This is what the leaders of the European Union meant when they placed “effective multilateralism” at the heart of the European Security Strategy in December 2003.
It is, obviously, for Americans to decide what course they want to plot for their country. But they should know that every time they choose to take the path of multilateral action, they will find France and Europe at their side. They will be America’s friends always, albeit critical at times.
The challenges we face are similar, if not identical: integrating tomorrow’s new powers into a renovated international order; promoting economic growth while preserving the environment; fighting global poverty. The same goes for the threats we face: the appeal of radical Islam; the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
The United States must learn to trust Europe in the key crises we must confront together. In the case of Iran, Europeans believe that sanctions and a political offer must go hand in hand. In the Middle East, we must press together to a long-lasting peace settlement.
Let us also join our efforts to reform the international institutions that were born in the aftermath of World War II, from the United Nations to NATO. Let us combine the reshaping of our military alliance with a stronger European defense effort.
I would like to believe that it was no accident that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—the 60th anniversary of which will be celebrated in 2008—arose from the efforts of two extraordinary individuals, one French, Ren? Cassin, and one American, Eleanor Roosevelt. Let us be inspired by their legacy as we move forward together.
