Dominique Moïsi on the Transatlantic divide

In the daily Les Echos, Dominique Moïsi, senior advisor at the French Institute for International Relations and visitiing professor at Harvard, analyses similarities and differences in politics and culture between the United States and Europe: "On the diplomatic and political front there has been, despite persistent misunderstandings, a considerable rapprochement between Europe and the US since Barack Obama took office. However concerning emotions and values the divide remains as big as ever. One can even ask if it hasn't widened. For example in America today there is much more collective hope and individual fear. In Europe it's just the opposite. There is less collective hope and less individual fear. It would be facile - but not necessarily false - to explain this difference with two words: Obama in the US and the welfare state ... in Europe. Comforted by a president who embodies the return of hope and who inspires and reassures at the same time, the Americans have started to believe that the low point of the crisis has been reached and that the worst is behind them."

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