Europe and the U.S. can learn a lot from one another on global issues, said Diana Wallis, vice president of the European Parliament.

Wallis is the first British woman to serve in her position in the Parliament, which is the only directly elected body of the European Union.

She spoke to students and guests at Dean Rusk Hall Tuesday afternoon during a lecture titled “Who Runs Who: does Europe follow the U.S, or the U.S. Europe, on major policy issues?”

Wallis outlined her stance on political issues such as the state of the Arctic region, the war in Iraq and health care.

Wallis said sharing resources from the Arctic will represent an “extraordinary test of how we decide to go forward” with plans to preserve the region.

Solutions to the problems caused by global warming may be resolved by using “international law” as a foundation, she said.

“It’s not just about saving the cuddly polar bear,” Wallis said. “It’s really important and a huge challenge.”

On the war in Iraq, Wallis said British parliament’s decision to send troops to Iraq was met with “huge, huge opposition” by the public.

“We may not have the power to stop the Iraq situation, but we’re the best indicator you’ve got of European values,” she said of the European Parliament’s role in the war.

For the future president of the U.S., she said, “I hope it will be someone who is open and an internationalist” and someone “who shares European values.”

Wallis said in terms of political action, the U.S. and Europe should “swap attitudes” to increase efficiency.

The U.S., she said, needs to be “a little more humble” and Europeans should push success stories “about what we’ve achieved.”

“I hope that your country and the European Union are capable of having a relationship based on respect and not on tension and problems,” she said.

“I believe that when we look at one another’s achievements and use a comparative approach, we can learn from that.”

The union is a conglomerate that represents 27 European communities and promotes political, social and economic progress, according to its Web site.

Wallis said U.S. pressure does not factor into the E.U.’s decisions to accept a new country into the union.

“To us in the parliament, there are more important issues than that,” she said.

For countries such as Turkey that are candidates to be part of the EU, Wallis said making sure they are economically stable is the most important factor.

The European attitude toward health care, she said, “is an underlying sense that the state should pay for it.”

“We’re getting the best of both worlds at the moment.”

Among the successes of Europe that are not always talked about, she said, include “50 years of peace” and “huge economic success.”

“Part of the problem is we’re always being self-critical,” Wallis said.

“I hope that together we can get it right,” she said.