In spite of the optimistic meetings between United States President George W. Bush and European Union leaders a few days ago, the trans-Atlantic alliance has turned into an obstacle course of conflicting targets, methods and dreams.

For older people it is a disturbing change from the years when Europe and the United States stood together against the then Soviet Union in what was termed as the Cold War. Today’s unity is one not without friction and there are strong hints that a West fused by shared principles is fast vanishing into history.

The two sides tried hard to play down the current turmoil, both saying all was well. “No power on earth will ever divide us,” Bush said, while French President Jacques Chirac announced that Mr Bush is now prepared for “a true partnership”.

Discrepancies have always existed between the two, but more than a decade after the end of the Cold War, these stand out more – Iraq, Iran’s nuclear programme, weapons trade with China and sanctions on Syria are the hottest topics.

Seven-week European holidays, free college education, universal health care, clean city streets and relatively low crime rates are the envy of Americans. On the other hand, Europeans wrestle with the high cost of sustaining welfare and unemployment rates stay well above America’s.

The conflict that exists is not a new thing but it has come out more in the open since the end of the Cold War removed the threat that united America and Europe faced after World War II.

President John F. Kennedy’s Ich bin ein Berliner (“I am a Berliner”) speech in 1963, was an important point of US backing during the Cold War – a defence of freedom delivered at the newly built Berlin Wall. For Europeans in the West – and those in the East suffering under communist dominion – what Kennedy was saying was “I am a European”.

But that is now the past. The Berlin Wall has come down and Europe has united into one block of 25 nations through which they believe they can put aside centuries of devastating war. More European countries want to join, believing that their countries could gain from membership and, at the same time, strengthen unity in Europe.

The rift between the US and Europe was in the forefront first over Iraq and has now shifted to Iran. The Europeans think Iran’s firmness on nuclear technology is negotiable; Washington wants to isolate Tehran and military action has not been ruled out.

Then there’s Syria. America rejects its regime, linking it to terrorism in Iraq while the European Union is offering Damascus a general trade agreement.

Europe’s independent-mindedness goes beyond diplomacy.

Today more Fortune 500 companies are European than American. European companies – Daimler-Benz on the ground, Airbus in the air, the Titan mission to Saturn in space – all threaten to usurp traditional American dominance. The United States’ GDP was long the world’s biggest.

Now the EU’s is bigger.

Some Europeans and Americans still hope friendship will not turn into outright rivalry. Militarily they are still allies, and Bush’s visit to Europe a few days ago is a clear indication that the two sides are working hard to find common ground.

Others believe that the two powers are preparing to go separate ways in spite of sharing the same ideas on, for example, the fight against terrorism. It is a relationship that is not at its best, they say, like a couple that has grown apart. At present, they are tolerating each other but the future looks rather bleak.