LONDON

ONLY MOMENTS after takeoff on a flight from Amsterdam to London, everyone on board seemed to have disappeared into a newspaper. With front pages from across Europe held aloft, a glance down the aisle showed one story dominated the news across the region, with another piece of news coming a close second. Almost every cover showed a picture of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Not far below the news from Denver, another dateline made the front page with unsettling news about Russia and the possibility of a new Cold War.

Once again, America and Europe stand on the same side. Once again, Europeans find inspiration from across the ocean.

Europeans are excited about America’s elections. The painful wound from that once-festering dispute over the war in Iraq is starting to look like an old scar. And the combination of American politics and world events has reaffirmed the two sides’ shared world view. At this precise moment in history, there is no question about what the “West” means: It means America and Europe, together.

Europeans are not just curious about America’s election. They are interested, involved and excited. Ever since the Democratic primaries heated up, European hearts have quickened at the thought of either a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton presidency. Everyone here sounds like an expert on American politics. Everyone has an opinion. Many women wanted Hillary to win, and many believed that choosing her as a running-mate would have assured Obama’s victory. Now Obama is the overwhelming favorite.

Europe has always had a complicated relationship with the United States. Some will always blame America for every wrong in the world. To most Europeans, however, America feels like a close cousin who grew up to become wealthy and strong and handsome. You know him well and know his flaws. He can be cocky and brash and impulsive, and infuriating. But he can also be charming, generous and inspiring. Deep down, almost in spite of yourself, you feel great affection for him and hold the highest expectations. You want to be dazzled, even if he can make you feel a little small in his shadow.

Europeans have gently mocked the protracted and melodramatic American election process. But they have followed it with bated breath. Millions have fallen into the Obama trance or become passionate about Hillary, even while confessing with a mix of shame of admiration that voters here would not have allowed a non-white candidate to make it this far.

There are those who worry about Obama, preferring McCain. But they are a rather quiet minority. For them, the wounds healed even sooner, if there were any.

Americans made it up to its European critics when George W. Bush’s approval ratings collapsed at home. Big majorities on both sides of the Atlantic now see the Bush presidency as a failure. Europeans felt vindicated by that, and by America’s troubles in Iraq, the war most of them opposed. Europe did its part for reconciliation by electing staunchly pro-American leaders in France and Germany. Passion returned when America electrified the continent with its slate of presidential candidates.

And then, Russia invaded Georgia and defied the West. Suddenly, it was not all about candidates and elections. Just as during the Cold War, America and Europe found themselves staring down an enigmatic and threatening adversary. Common views also emerged during the Beijing Olympics, a dazzling spectacle that many in the West found a little, shall we say, creepy in its totalitarian perfection. You had to live in the controlled chaos of a democratic system to understand why spending $43 billion for a sports competition might be wrong. Americans and Europeans got that. Together.

This second transatlantic honeymoon will not last forever. Disappointment will inevitably break the spell.

Shared outrage over Russia’s actions has kept Europe and America on the same side. That’s easy for now, since neither Europe nor America have done much about it. It is often when confronting aggression that the ugly disagreements break out across the Atlantic. But not yet

At times, it seems that people here have forgotten the election is not over. Many talk of how the world will change now, as if Obama already lives in the White House. If Obama becomes president, inevitably the day will come when he will do something Europeans won’t like. If he loses, they will again say Americans cannot be trusted to vote.

No matter how the election turns out, the worst of the spat between Europe and the U.S. has ended. After half a decade of anger, Europeans are again starting to like their American cousin.

Frida Ghitis, an occasional contributor, is a longtime foreign correspondent.