It’s not often that the really big beasts of US politics pitch up in the European Parliament, but when they do, it’s a big deal. One US President has addressed the Parliament. That was Ronald Reagan in 1985. (Extracts from his speech in audio here, or watch the video – last link under “Speakers’ Corner” - here.) A far more recent visitor was the current Secretary of State, former First Lady and once heir apparent to the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, who came to Parliament for a “town-hall” meeting with young Europeans (one of whom turned out to be our very own Bárbara!).

Joe Biden addresses the European Parliament

Parliament is undoubtedly just a bit star-struck on these occasions. When the American show rolls into town, you can’t exactly fail to notice… You can bet that there’ll be hot competition for seats in whatever room the prime attraction will occupy (not fair, MEPs have reserved seats…), an insatiable demand to get up close and personal which is inevitably difficult to reconcile with the heavy security needs of all those smartly dressed gentlemen with wires in their ears who precede and accompany the VIP guest…

So there was the usual excitement this week when US Vice-President Joe Biden came to the European Parliament. Two things on his agenda: first he would address the House in a formal sitting, whereafter he would go into a private meeting with the leaders of Parliament’s seven political groups, the so-called Conference of Presidents. There are some great photos of it all by Pietro on Flickr, here.

Joe Biden is a experienced, respected and big-hitting politician. You could pretty much say he’s seen in all. Including recently, that classic pitfall of the contemporary politician, the off-the-cuff remark picked up by an open microphone, an event now amplified by the speed of the internet and social media (ask Gordon Brown). Thus, his heartfelt remark, as he introduced his boss to an audience eager to hear about the passage of Obama’s historic health care legislation, that this was a “big f*#king deal”, duly did the rounds on Youtube (you have to listen hard!). I have to say, this episode did much to endear him to me, anyway. First, the remark is accurate – the passage of health care was no small matter – and second, it showed him for the real human being he undoubtedly is. Thus the odd social media accident can actually play into your hands.

“The  administration strongly supports, a vibrant European Union.”

I refer to this incident for a particular reason, as a pretext to say, Mr Vice-President, your visit to us was a big f*#king deal.

I don’t mean, this time, that it was the usual American star turn. It was, but that’s not the point. This was politically highly significant. Watch the speech. Read the speech. Read about the speech. For one thing, it was a damn good speech. As a statement of the Obama administration’s attitude to the EU, it is unequivocal: “The Obama/Biden administration has no doubt about the need for, and strongly supports, a vibrant European Union. We believe it is absolutely essential to American prosperity and long-term security.” (I couldn’t help feeling it was a shame most UK members were absent, May 6 being election day back home. They should have heard this.)

But, more than that, from the perspective of the European Parliament, this speech marks a real coming of age. The Vice-President’s speech is a recognition of the European Parliament as a crucial partner, a recognition of the need for the US Congress and the European Parliament to deal with other as equals: ”The new powers granted this Parliament in the Lisbon Treaty gave you a greater role in that struggle [against terror and extremism] and a greater imperative to govern responsibly.”

“I think we got your attention”. Right, Mr Vice-President?

This was not the grand, but ultimately abstract idealistic stuff ladled out by Reagan in 1985, but hard-nosed politics about mutual interests, a senior politician bringing a practical political message to his transatlantic partners.

The case of SWIFT (Parliament’s rejection of an agreement whereby banking data is supplied to the American authorities) was not mentioned explicitly in this speech, but it was there as a subtext throughout the parts dealing with the responsibility of US and European lawmakers to protect their citizens. You know what Americans say: “I think we got your attention”. Right, Mr Vice-President? But this is not a game of transatlantic oneupmanship, it’s about a practical demonstration of the fact that two partner institutions are finding that their activities overlap, their interests both coincide and diverge and that their decisions affect each other directly. So Mr Biden’s words in Brussels to the European Parliament confirm the new reality spotted by many in the famous call made by Hillary Clinton to Jerzy Buzek to try to persuade him to try to swing the Parliament away from its impending rejection of the SWIFT agreement. This video rightly puts the emphasis on this aspect of the speech. (You can also see SWIFT rapporteur, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert’s, reaction here.)

Said Mr Biden: “President Obama and I reject the false choice between safety and our ideals.” He pointed to the US constitutional attachment to privacy, aka the “right to be let alone”, and then made his basic point: “The United States needs Europe, and I respectfully submit that Europe needs the United States. We need each other more now than we ever have.”

“God bless you all and may God protect all of our troops. Thank you very, very much.”

In a speech so focused on emphasising the common interests of Europe and the US, without shying away from the areas of disagreement, it is perhaps a little ironic that Mr Biden’s concluding sentence acted as a reminder of a way in which US and European politicians have come to differ. In the States, it would have sounded natural and uncontroversial, a rhetorical evocation which can be guaranteed to generate consensus in any audience: “We wish you God-speed, and may God bless you all and may God protect all of our troops. Thank you very, very much.”

Yes, we are a little different, but if we’re listening to each other that’s the main thing.