Abstract
Three days ago, President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Barack Obama met in Washington to address economic issues and the European role in the sanctions against Iran. This meeting has been the main news in the European media, the American media barely spoke about it. This difference of views is very symbolic in the current asymmetry between the importance given by Europe to the United States and by the United States to Europe. After December 1991, the world order has been constantly changing and still has not stabilized. The United States remains the only world superpower but as you all know new poles have emerged and still are emerging. In this uncertain international system, transatlantic relations have become much more complex. On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean there has been a growing need for redefining strategies and alliances and we still are in a period of redefinition. Therefore, I think that saying that the United States is a priority for Europe is a fact that must be tempered. To understand more precisely what the priorities of Europe and the United States are, we need to strongly focus on the recent histories and the current situations of Europe and the US. What balance of power is there in the US-EU partnership?
