As the exhilaration over Barack Obama’s inauguration fades, Europeans have begun to absorb an uncomfortable truth. In his inaugural speech, the United States’ new president did not mention the European Union once. Mr Obama may be at the centre of Europe’s preoccupations. But Europe does not appear to be at the centre of his.

It was three days before Mr Obama telephoned a European leader. To the consternation of continentals hoping for a less British bias to transatlantic ties, the call went to Britain’s Gordon Brown. Only later did he ring France’s Nicolas Sarkozy, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev. By contrast, Mr Obama rang leaders of the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Israel and Jordan a day after being sworn in. And this week he gave his first broadcast interview—to a Dubai-based Arabic television network, al-Arabiya.

European rivalry over that first call is matched when it comes to the first meeting. Despite frantic efforts (especially by Mr Sarkozy) to meet him beforehand, Mr Obama was careful ahead of his inauguration to show no favouritism. When five EU leaders turned up in Washington, DC, for the G20 summit last November, he saw none of them. “The Obama team has been very closed,” says a frustrated French diplomat. Glory reflected from Mr Obama may be especially sought in Berlin, where he spoke to a huge crowd last July. The Social Democratic foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, is challenging Ms Merkel in September’s election; each would like to catch some Obama stardust.

In practice, Mr Obama’s first visit to Europe is likely to be to London on April 2nd for another G20 summit. He is due a day later at a NATO summit split between Strasbourg and Kehl, a town in south-western Germany, that will mark the alliance’s 60th anniversary. The Czechs, who hold the EU’s rotating six-month presidency, also hope to tempt him to Prague. “Everybody wants the first visit of the Messiah,” remarks one French official wryly.

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