Atlantic Partnership: Background

Globalisation: Atlantic Partnership

History

The Atlantic Partnership was founded by the former leader of the British Conservative Party Michael Howard in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks there was a fear that as America pursued the war on terror, it risked drifting apart from Europe which was pursuing monetary and political unification, and expansion in the form of Europe wide institutions. This organisation was formed to ensure this was not the case. This objective can be seen in two quotes from a statement on the organisations website in which Lord Powell of Bayswater states that the:

“Atlantic Partnership’s role is to argue the case for setting major policy decisions in the context of their impact on transatlantic relations. That should apply as much to the way America pursues the global war against terrorism as to the European Union’s ambition to build stronger, Europe-wide institutions.”

And also that:

“Governments on both sides of the Atlantic have recognised how much we all stand to lose if we allow our continents to drift apart. Quite apart from the material damage we would do ourselves, such separation would weaken the values which we want to see adopted more widely throughout the world.” Both these quotes show that the Atlantic Partnership was created to bridge the gap between America and Europe by using the

The organisation has sought over the years to continue the strong influence of America in the development of the European Union. This has been done by using the United Kingdom as the spokesman for American interests. It also represents a continuation of American policy towards Europe which was established during the Second World War and the Cold War.

As can be seen in the people section, this organisation is linked to very powerful individuals from the world of politics, business and the military. Through its many connections with these individuals the organisation has been influential in fostering relationships and influencing decision making at the highest level. This has largely been done through the many breakfast meetings that the company hosts each year in the United Kingdom France, Germany, Spain and the United States. These meetings have been held with the aim of giving major figures the chance to deliver their views to an invited audience, made up of leading businessmen, political and military leaders, and people from the media world such as newspaper editors. These speakers have included the current British Prime Minister, David Cameron; the governor of the Bank of England, Dr. Mervyn King; the President of the World Bank, Ambassador Robert Zoellick; and also General James Jones, United States National Security Advisor. All of these men are very influential in the decision making of their respective countries.