Former Spanish PM: Obama is the least European president ever

Spain

From Josh Rogin, the CableBarack Obama is less interested in the U.S.-European relationship than any president in American history, according to the former Spanish prime minister.

"Europe is not a priority for this administration because the Atlantic system is not a priority for this administration," said Jose Maria Aznar, who led the Spanish government from 1996 to 2004. "We can be useful sometimes, but it not a priority. The priority is China, the Muslim world, the relationship with Russia."

In a wide-ranging interview with The Cable, Aznar argued that President Obama’s policies on Afghanistan, his approach to Israel, his failed outreach to the Muslim world, and his overall neglect of U.S.-European relations has eroded his previously robust European support.

"Europeans defended Obama with more eagerness than Americans even. But now, many leaders understand that this president is the least European president in the history of the United States," Aznar said.  …

"This American administration is different. This is the first American administration that is not exactly educated in Atlantic values, universal values, it is educated in other values. This is one of the reasons this administration’s position regarding Israel is different than previous American administrations," he said.  (photo: Getty)

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