François Hollande and David Cameron are both gorgeous and wonderful but does Barack Obama really love them?

Barrack Obama, the American president

He just can’t make up his mind. Barack Obama was put on the spot last week when a journalist asked him if France was “the best European ally of the US.” President Obama was trying to mix diplomacy and humour in his answer but, joking apart, the evasion sent ripples through the European diplomatic community. “I have two daughters,” the President said “They are both gorgeous and wonderful, and I would never choose between them. And that’s how I feel about my outstanding European partners. All of them are wonderful in their own ways.”

Of course everyone in Europe is wonderful even if they’re not all gorgeous but here in the United Kingdom, people are thinking about that much vaunted “special relationship.” I’m trying not to get jealous – after-all, Barack Obama can love wherever he likes. It’s the indecision that hurts.

The dilemma, a St Valentine’s thing, was all about the choice between Dave or François.

David Cameron, the British prime minister

François Hollande, the French president

The American president was probably wise in not coming out with a decision on which country was the USA’s outstanding European partner and, being serious for a moment, there is more to a country than its leader no matter how wonderful and gorgeous that person might be.

President François Hollande was in Washington with President Obama and it would have been awkward to have snubbed François by choosing Dave quite so openly. We over here in Britain have seen Dave’s matey photo opportunities showing us his special relationship with Barack.

We were encouraged to believe if two guys can play table tennis together…

… go to a match together…

..and cook bar-b-q together, then they’re best mates, real blokes, well, yes, friends.

So we got all edgy when we saw François charming Barack with his sophistication and je ne sais crois. Not a burger in sight.

Barack was even relaxed enough to risk, ladies’ man François meeting his wife. Michelle looked, well, charmed.

No, it’s not looking good for Dave. Could he be getting side-lined by all that gallic charm? Or is it a European Union thing. Rumour has it that Britain is going to try going it alone out of Europe if Dave gets re-elected next year. Or is it something else altogether? Could it be that Barack’s real favourite is neither Dave nor François?

Those diplomatic circles have been saying for some time now that President Obama is much more at ease with Germany’s Angela Merkel and she is, after-all, the real power in Europe.

Barack Obama and Angela Merkel – love match?

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STEPHEN DEARSLEY’S SUMMER OF LOVE BY COLIN BELL

My novel, Stephen Dearsley’s Summer Of Love, was published on 31 October 2013. It is the story of a young fogey living in Brighton in 1967 who has a lot to learn when the flowering hippie counter culture changes him and the world around him.