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Estonian President Discusses “Old and New” Europe
Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the president of the Republic of Estonia, addressed an audience at SIPA about “Old” and “New” Europe and the changes both have undergone since the Treaty of Lisbon.
The Treaty of Lisbon, signed in 2007, is an international agreement amending the two treaties which make up the constitutional basis of the European Union.
In his remarks, Ilve cited former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s notions of Old and New Europe. Old Europe comprises the nations of Western Europe that were the original members of NATO and long took a different view from the U.S. on the use of force.
New Europe, said Ilves, comprises the nations of Eastern Europe that were previously part of the Soviet bloc and are more recent members of NATO. Those nations were more likely to support U.S. policies; nations from Old Europe would more likely not.
“Old Europe had a haughty attitude toward New Europe, and this was highlighted during the Iraq war,” said Ilves. “Eastern European people had an understanding that liberty and democracy were things they could fight for, rather than call on the Americans to do for them.”
Listen to an audio podcast of President Ilves remarks here. 
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But during the past ten years, he says Old Europe has become less anti-American, where New Europe has become more critical of U.S. actions. Ilves says this is an indicator that Europe has ceased to be a big problem for the U.S.
Throughout the 20th century, the U.S. has been involved in European affairs – from World War II and the Nazis, to the Cold War, to sweeping up after the fall of the Soviet Union. With most of that work completed by 2007 and the signing of the Lisbon Treaty, the United States moved on to other problems – Iran, China, terrorism and the economy.
“It’s understandable that the U.S. isn’t paying as much attention to Europe as it used to,” he said. “If you don’t have a problem and you’re not getting attention, that’s a good thing.”
A good illustration of the divide between Old and New Europe is NATO and the European Union. Some nations are members of both; some nations are members of one or the other, with no thread connecting the two organizations.
Ilves, an alumnus of Columbia University, said the east-west divide in Europe is being replaced by a north-south divide, and the Treaty of Lisbon is only slowly bringing change.
Alex Burnett, 09/24/2010