Normative power Europe? Economic partnership Agreement and Africa

"We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future". Thus did former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright express her distinctive sense of American 'exceptionalism' in world affairs. The words are much quoted, and often mocked for their hubris. But a certain similarity of tone may be found in some recent writing on Europe's role in the world, rooted in a particularly admiring vision of Europe's identity and ethos. A colourful example is Jeremy Rifkin's book The European Dream.