These values are universal there is nothing specifically Anglo Saxon or German about them.

That means moving away from both the Anglo Saxon model of laissez faire and voodoo economics and the continental European model of deficit driven welfare states.

At the heart of the European project lies a commitment to the single market, the subsidiarity principle, and the four freedoms, as well as other traditional liberties such as freedom of speech and religion. These values are universal there is nothing specifically Anglo Saxon or German about them.

It is often argued that Continental Europe's social and economic model, which seeks to combine competitiveness with solidarity, is the glue that binds the European Union together, as well as distinguishing Europe from the American (or Anglo Saxon) free market model.

One answer was provided by two of Mitt Romney s advisers, who stated that their candidate particularly valued the special relationship with Britain because of the shared Anglo Saxon heritage. This heritage, they claimed, was not sufficiently appreciated by the current president.