The early history of the United States makes clear that political unions take shape in incremental fashion and not without setbacks. In these terms, Europe's ongoing integration is proceeding apace and of considerable geopolitical consequence. Europe's mounting geopolitical weight, although contributing to the turmoil that has beset Atlantic relations, need not come at the expense of its link to the United States. On the contrary, the emergence of a more unified and muscular Europe has the potential to salvage a transatlantic alliance that is currently strained to the breaking point.