This would involve less emphasis on fiscal and structural reforms, raising concerns in Berlin, Brussels and Frankfurt.
His patrician version of social Gaullism, with an emphasis on fiscal prudence, seems less threatening than Mr Sarkozy's eclectic politics.
It knits together Miliband's declared intent to end the "cost-of-living crisis" with his fresh emphasis upon fiscal responsibility.
Milton Ezrati, another American economist, took up the theme this week, referring to investor fears of "the Continent's seemingly single-minded emphasis on fiscal austerity".
But his recommendations for future fiscal policy— particularly the emphasis on the need for continued investment and reducing unemployment — generally hews closer to Mr. Obama's position than to the views of Congressional Republicans.
By way of contrast, Bill Clinton used his party's 1992 convention to play down the Democrats' liberal tradition and to emulate the Republicans' emphasis on fiscal responsibility and welfare reform.
For anyone who knew the Labor Party in the old days, with its talk of Socialism and weakness toward inflationary union demands, today's emphasis on fiscal soundness is astounding.
And the U.S. emphasis on fiscal expansion actually gives our European partners the incentive to free ride aiming to recover through exports rather than shifting to expansionary monetary and fiscal policy.
Despite his emphasis on fiscal issues, Lippold is likely to face questions about the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
He has called for a renegotiation of the European fiscal pact to put more emphasis on growth.
