Europe Sharing the West's Burden?

The end of American Unilateralism?

Recent French and British leadership with regards to the crisis in Libya and the pro-active French stance on the growing civil war in one of it's former colonys, the Ivory Coast, may reveal a turning point in European interventionist policy and reassertion of Europe's role within the world.

The history of European intervention outside of its geographical borders is relatively long and quite well known but European leadership on international affairs subsided post World War II and practically ceased to exist as the Cold War escalated throughout the 1950s and 1960s. At this juncture the burden fell to the USA to export and protect western liberal democracy and the capitalist system, a role it seemed to relish under successive administrations. Under the previous administration however, the policy of unilateral intervention, particularly military intervention, reached an impasse. The American voters woke up to both the financial and actual cost of their governments adventures, with trust in the American way of doing things viewed with suspicion among allies and enemies and a general anger in Europe at America's perceived cultural ignorance, lack of forward thinking and unilateral dismissal of the UN whenever it suited them. 

The current American administration seem to have taken some lessons of the Bush years on board and applied them to it's own foreign policy. In effect what President Obama is doing is allowing limited American intervention in areas that may affect American interests, but stressing the limited nature of the mission and the fact that America will not lead. By doing this Obama is pleasing those who claim that America cannot afford another war, he is keeping the military action 'low-key' so as not to stir up further resentment in the Muslim world for the US and he is ceding a large degree of control and responsibility to the office of the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. 

So the pressure fell to a European Union, some of whose member states recent actions in promotion of democracy in the Mediterranean can claim a degree of blame or responsibility for the recent instability along the Sea's southern coastline. With Germany's Chancellor facing a difficult election this year she chose to dither and offer conflicting reasons, Italy cited the refugees they would inevitably be inundated with, France, not for the first time in European history, led the charge, followed swiftly by the UK. Taking this initiative and stressing that this would be a NATO led mission with primary strikes led by Europeans Sarkozy has opened a new chapter in the relationship between Europe and the world, especially it's African neighbours. Is Europe willing to provide another counter balance to China's growing assertion of its sphere's of influence? Is Europe willing to usurp the tainted presence of the American mission in the middle east, particularly with regards to Iran, and try create lasting stability in the region? Or is this merely a muscle flexing exercise by Sarkozy and Cameron, something to appease the voters at home and keep the oil pumping?