Sir Fischer, I usually have the upper most respect for your views and deeply analytical foreign policy stance. However unlike Germany's to be highly respected approach to the Balkans and again same spot on policy towards the Iraq war, I fail to understand your need of urgency for European foreign policy expansion.

Do pardon me but your piece sounds more like a European representative who feels upset and nostalgic about Europes imperialistic past. How exactly is Europe again to construct its influence over Asia and Middle East? By invading, consuming the resources for its self interest and carving up modern made up countries on maps?

Since Europes foreign adventures post Ottoman period, which has recently been overtaken by US adventures, have we truly had a stable world? Excuse my naive and humble proposition but what if Europe stays within its current geography and balances global power with the US, Russia and China. It's classical global well being theory that the world is best served when there is a balanced world order. Not a pro US/Western domination post Soviet Union.

I completely understand the Wests need to be ruling what goes on for the foreseeable future as a self righteous obsession, but I can assure you the rest of the world is not too fond of such global dynamics.