The diplomatic confrontation surrounding the Iraq crisis will leave deep scars. The links between the old and new continents remain important but will undergo profound change. The old transatlantic community is being slowly dismantled by both sides, giving way to ad hoc bilateral military links between Washington and some Europeans.
The key slogan for the future is coalition of the willing: temporary arrangements between countries depending on their military capabilities and political circumstances. When the dust settles over Iraq, it will become clear that the dispute between Europeans and Americans has merely accelerated a process of decay in their relations, which began, slowly and almost imperceptibly, with the collapse of communism.
