Barroso praises pro-EU Hatoyama

Article reports that José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, has hailed a controversial essay by the incoming Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama that criticised US-style capitalism, as a sign of 'converging' visions in Brussels and Tokyo.

The warm European re-action to Mr Hatoyama's article, which portrayed the European Union as a model for Japanese domestic and regional policies, contrasts sharply with the consternation felt in some Washington circles about the essay's denunciation of 'US-led market fundamentalism' and questioning of the dollar's future role.

European Commission: DG External Relations: The EU and Japan http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/japan/index_en.htm

European Commission: Delegation in Japan http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/

European Commission: Delegation in Japan: Press Release, 15.9.09: Message from European Commission President Barroso delivered to DPJ President Hatoyama http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/modules/media/news/2009/090915.html

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