Time for a higher profile Ambassador to the EU Posted by Max Bergmann

As the national security posts begin to filter out there is one that is not getting much attention that probably should – the U.S. Ambassador to the EU.

It is past time for the U.S. to begin treating the EU as an increasingly important international actor and to recognize that the bilateral relationship will likely increase in importance and will demand higher level interaction between Washington and Brussels outside of NATO. In recognition of this reality, the Obama administration should prioritize selecting its Ambassador to the EU and should select someone of some heft.

The EU’s international role has significantly expanded over the last decade and Brussels has quietly been added to the big three capitols of London, Paris, and Berlin when we talk of engaging Europe. In the past the position has often been held by individuals with more of a trade background, which made sense since the EU controls trade for the entire bloc. But there is a need to expand the focus beyond the trade portfolio. A host of issues outside of NATO will need US-EU coordination: energy security, climate change, Iran, Russia, the Balkans, the fall-out of the international economic crisis, and development assistance (coordination may be increasingly important here in light of tightening budgets and the fallout of the global economic crisis on developing countries).

The current Ambassador, Kristen Silverberg, who was appointed just last year, doesn’t fit this profile. She came from Texas with Bush as part of the 2000 campaign, worked on domestic policy in the White House, and went to Iraq with Bremer. She was the Assistant Secretary of State for International Affairs but with little background in Europe she hardly seems like the ideal person for a job of increasing importance.

Sending a person with some bureaucratic clout would also send a positive signal of support to the effort to expand EU integration into the foreign policy realm. If we start using the EU as a means through which to conduct our foreign policy, it could also encourage Europe to develop a more coherent and cohesive foreign policy. As the financial crisis severely reigns in our ability to act in the world, we will increasingly need those who we see eye to eye with us to do more internationally.

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