US-EU/EC Relationships, a ‘Golden Age’ Fairy Tale, ‘Snow White and the Seven Eurodwarfs…’

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Europe, a land steeped in history and grandeur, that dreamed of power, influence, and independence. At its head was Snow White – a woman named Ursula von der Leyen, a noble bureaucrat who believed herself to be the fairest of them all. She surrounded herself with seven dwarfs, each a ruler of their own little fiefdom, all convinced they were important players in the grand game of global politics. The dwarfs were a curious bunch: – Scholz the Sleepy – The tired, indecisive ruler of Germany, dozing off as his once-mighty…