Preventing a revaluation of values: Angela Merkel rushes into battle with Donald Trump
Angela Merkel made both political and historical opening. According to the German Federal Chancellor, the world order has transformed. The main reason for the transformation of the world is the reluctance of the United States to fulfill its obligations. In addition, the White House leadership does not share Western “values.”
On the eve of the Hamburg G20 summit, Angela Merkel gave a great interview to the German weekly «Die Zeit». The entire text of the interview is not yet available, but you can get acquainted with its fragments on the newspaper’s website today.
The main message of Angela Merkel - Europe must unite its forces. The Chancellor stressed the importance of the G20 Summit in Hamburg and noted the need for a common position of European countries.
Shortly before the conference, Merkel said in an interview with Die Zeit: “This is true, the world order is changing, and the balance of power is shifting.”
She also indicated where this very balance is shifting. It was about the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, about Donald Trump and R. T. Erdogan. Merkel said that it is necessary to accept this provision as it exists. Merkel sees her own task in not putting questions about the divergence of the position of the summit participants “on the shelf” - this task “should be solved”.
Speaking about the consolidation of Europe, the Chancellor noted that the rational ideas are the rapprochement of European forces, the single economic government in the euro area and the introduction of the post of European Minister of Finance. The last two thoughts seem to her "especially important."
As for the US international position, Angela Merkel has openly criticized her.
The opinion of the US government on globalization does not suit her at all. “While we are looking for opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefit, the US administration sees globalization rather as a process in which it is not about win-win situations, but about winners and losers,” she said.
She also objects to the statement by security adviser Donald Trump that the world is an arena, not a global community. According to the Chancellor, with this approach, few people will benefit from economic progress.
The Chancellor was asked: does she intend to repeat at the summit her statement that the days when Germany could completely rely on others were a thing of the past?
Merkel replied: “Yes, exactly that way” (“Ja, genauso”).
Also, according to her, the current US government will probably not be the “executive branch” operating “in all regions of the world.” However, it is difficult to say whether it is good or bad. news: everything will become clear "depending on the topic", which will be discussed.
Angela Merkel, we add, changed a month ago. At the beginning of June, she became a passionate speaker: she made a loud statement about Europe, which was time to take control of fate. Since the statement was made in the suburbs of Munich and with a beer in hand, some analysts even compared the Chancellor’s speech with the historical “beer putsch”. Without a direct analogy.
The speech of Angela Merkel in June inspired not only analysts. Experienced politicians, including the former, immediately rushed to scribble comments and disassemble the Chancellor’s loud statements, looking for hidden main meanings. The former German Foreign Minister, former Vice-Chancellor Joschka Fischer, also took up the speech of a man with a mug among others. His material has appeared on a popular site. Project Syndicate.
The ex-minister noted that until now German Chancellor Angela Merkel was not considered “a particularly inspiring speaker”. On the contrary, she could easily lull the audience.
But now everything has changed. During a speech during the election campaign in the Munich suburb of Trudering, Frau Merkel, speaking at the beer tent, delivered such a powerful speech that hit the headlines on “both sides of the Atlantic”. As the Trinity approached, many observers wondered if Merkel himself was inspired by the holy spirit? However, there are some simple explanations: it is possible that Angel was prompted to stay in the company of Donald Trump during the recent NATO and G7 summits. In addition, her head is occupied by the thought of the upcoming federal elections in Germany.
In his speech, Frau Merkel did not at all imitate former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who, speaking in Goslar in January 2003, said that Germany would not participate in the war in Iraq, regardless of what they decided in the UN Security Council. Merkel's speech was much more than an ordinary election campaign.
"The time when we could completely rely on others, to some extent, has passed," Merkel announced, "and therefore I can only say that we Europeans really have to take our destiny into our own hands."
Such a statement may be considered by some to reject Germany from the transatlantic alliance, to conduct a “strategic regrouping”, or to enter the era of instability. But the statement of Merkel did not carry anything like that, the expert believes.
Anyone who has paid attention to this already knows: the historical changes taking place in the world today “do not occur in Germany”. Rather, they come from two Western geopolitical actors: the United States and the United Kingdom. The former minister points to Trump's election victory and the UK referendum leading to Brexit. As for the Germans, they "saw no reason for making fundamental changes to the existing geopolitical order."
These two events shook the foundation on which Europe and the world flourished after World War II. Britain’s decision to leave the European Union may inspire other countries to exit, and “isolationist Trump, with his agenda of the day America America No. 1, implies that the United States will renounce the leading role in the world and may refuse security guarantees for Europe . At the same time, the Europeans were lucky to avoid a catastrophe of historic proportions: Marine Le Pen was not elected at the presidential elections in France. If the head of the National Front were to run for president, "she probably would have put an end to the euro, the EU and the common market." Continental Europe "would have been mired in a deep economic and political crisis." Therefore, those who still support a united Europe should learn a French lesson. Europe must strengthen its ability to act, respond to crises and changing circumstances.
This is the basis of the message of Angela Merkel.
When Merkel remarked that the Europeans themselves should take care of their fate, she stated “an obvious fact.” Yet only those who underestimated Merkel could decide that she would turn away from transatlantic ideas. Merkel understands that the US is indispensable for European security. But she also knows, Joshka Fisher notes, that the Trump presidency calls into question both the American security guarantees and the common values that have been firmly tied to both sides so far.
Careful analysis of the words of Merkel shows: she does not doubt the future of the transatlantic alliance. Rather, it calls for the strengthening of Europe. Merkel knows that if the US renounces its place “on top of the international order”, then this place will not be taken by a certain “new leading power”; The new world order will fail. “We will have a power vacuum characterized by chaos,” the expert believes. The world will become less stable. And Europeans will have no choice but to unite and jointly defend their interests. No one else for Europeans will do this.
That was what Merkel was talking about - the strengthening of Europe. And, fortunately, Frau Merkel found a partner - it turned out to be the French president Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders want to stabilize the Eurozone, restore economic growth and strengthen Europe’s security through joint forces at the borders and a new refugee policy.
In conclusion, the former minister notes that Germany and Europe will have to do a lot to ensure their own security and strengthen the transatlantic bridge, which maintains peace in Europe and prosperity. It should be "firmly adhere to liberal values, which give rise to envy of those who seek democracy, and the reason for hatred - autocrats."
Statements and comments about values suggest the right idea: this time Mr. Trump is recorded as a number of autocrats, who does not find a common language with Europe. Long ago, since the election campaign, he took the cheeky tone of a terry businessman, who is ready to “put on the grandmother” the entire planet. The interests of this businessman above all, and he has one value: profit. Unions profitable to Europe are canceled, with Gazprom in Europe it is necessary to end, because there is American gas, Europe must fork over NATO and American arms. All this is beneficial to Washington. “America is number one!”
However, neither Germany, nor France, nor even Great Britain with its Brexit can "renounce" such an America. All are to some extent dependent - dependent on the very “old world order”.
And hope alone lives in the heart of the Angels: Trump is not eternal.
However, the angel is not eternal.
On the eve of the Hamburg G20 summit, Angela Merkel gave a great interview to the German weekly «Die Zeit». The entire text of the interview is not yet available, but you can get acquainted with its fragments on the newspaper’s website today.
The main message of Angela Merkel - Europe must unite its forces. The Chancellor stressed the importance of the G20 Summit in Hamburg and noted the need for a common position of European countries.
Shortly before the conference, Merkel said in an interview with Die Zeit: “This is true, the world order is changing, and the balance of power is shifting.”
She also indicated where this very balance is shifting. It was about the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, about Donald Trump and R. T. Erdogan. Merkel said that it is necessary to accept this provision as it exists. Merkel sees her own task in not putting questions about the divergence of the position of the summit participants “on the shelf” - this task “should be solved”.
Speaking about the consolidation of Europe, the Chancellor noted that the rational ideas are the rapprochement of European forces, the single economic government in the euro area and the introduction of the post of European Minister of Finance. The last two thoughts seem to her "especially important."
As for the US international position, Angela Merkel has openly criticized her.
The opinion of the US government on globalization does not suit her at all. “While we are looking for opportunities for cooperation for mutual benefit, the US administration sees globalization rather as a process in which it is not about win-win situations, but about winners and losers,” she said.
She also objects to the statement by security adviser Donald Trump that the world is an arena, not a global community. According to the Chancellor, with this approach, few people will benefit from economic progress.
The Chancellor was asked: does she intend to repeat at the summit her statement that the days when Germany could completely rely on others were a thing of the past?
Merkel replied: “Yes, exactly that way” (“Ja, genauso”).
Also, according to her, the current US government will probably not be the “executive branch” operating “in all regions of the world.” However, it is difficult to say whether it is good or bad. news: everything will become clear "depending on the topic", which will be discussed.
Angela Merkel, we add, changed a month ago. At the beginning of June, she became a passionate speaker: she made a loud statement about Europe, which was time to take control of fate. Since the statement was made in the suburbs of Munich and with a beer in hand, some analysts even compared the Chancellor’s speech with the historical “beer putsch”. Without a direct analogy.
The speech of Angela Merkel in June inspired not only analysts. Experienced politicians, including the former, immediately rushed to scribble comments and disassemble the Chancellor’s loud statements, looking for hidden main meanings. The former German Foreign Minister, former Vice-Chancellor Joschka Fischer, also took up the speech of a man with a mug among others. His material has appeared on a popular site. Project Syndicate.
The ex-minister noted that until now German Chancellor Angela Merkel was not considered “a particularly inspiring speaker”. On the contrary, she could easily lull the audience.
But now everything has changed. During a speech during the election campaign in the Munich suburb of Trudering, Frau Merkel, speaking at the beer tent, delivered such a powerful speech that hit the headlines on “both sides of the Atlantic”. As the Trinity approached, many observers wondered if Merkel himself was inspired by the holy spirit? However, there are some simple explanations: it is possible that Angel was prompted to stay in the company of Donald Trump during the recent NATO and G7 summits. In addition, her head is occupied by the thought of the upcoming federal elections in Germany.
In his speech, Frau Merkel did not at all imitate former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who, speaking in Goslar in January 2003, said that Germany would not participate in the war in Iraq, regardless of what they decided in the UN Security Council. Merkel's speech was much more than an ordinary election campaign.
"The time when we could completely rely on others, to some extent, has passed," Merkel announced, "and therefore I can only say that we Europeans really have to take our destiny into our own hands."
Such a statement may be considered by some to reject Germany from the transatlantic alliance, to conduct a “strategic regrouping”, or to enter the era of instability. But the statement of Merkel did not carry anything like that, the expert believes.
Anyone who has paid attention to this already knows: the historical changes taking place in the world today “do not occur in Germany”. Rather, they come from two Western geopolitical actors: the United States and the United Kingdom. The former minister points to Trump's election victory and the UK referendum leading to Brexit. As for the Germans, they "saw no reason for making fundamental changes to the existing geopolitical order."
These two events shook the foundation on which Europe and the world flourished after World War II. Britain’s decision to leave the European Union may inspire other countries to exit, and “isolationist Trump, with his agenda of the day America America No. 1, implies that the United States will renounce the leading role in the world and may refuse security guarantees for Europe . At the same time, the Europeans were lucky to avoid a catastrophe of historic proportions: Marine Le Pen was not elected at the presidential elections in France. If the head of the National Front were to run for president, "she probably would have put an end to the euro, the EU and the common market." Continental Europe "would have been mired in a deep economic and political crisis." Therefore, those who still support a united Europe should learn a French lesson. Europe must strengthen its ability to act, respond to crises and changing circumstances.
This is the basis of the message of Angela Merkel.
When Merkel remarked that the Europeans themselves should take care of their fate, she stated “an obvious fact.” Yet only those who underestimated Merkel could decide that she would turn away from transatlantic ideas. Merkel understands that the US is indispensable for European security. But she also knows, Joshka Fisher notes, that the Trump presidency calls into question both the American security guarantees and the common values that have been firmly tied to both sides so far.
Careful analysis of the words of Merkel shows: she does not doubt the future of the transatlantic alliance. Rather, it calls for the strengthening of Europe. Merkel knows that if the US renounces its place “on top of the international order”, then this place will not be taken by a certain “new leading power”; The new world order will fail. “We will have a power vacuum characterized by chaos,” the expert believes. The world will become less stable. And Europeans will have no choice but to unite and jointly defend their interests. No one else for Europeans will do this.
That was what Merkel was talking about - the strengthening of Europe. And, fortunately, Frau Merkel found a partner - it turned out to be the French president Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders want to stabilize the Eurozone, restore economic growth and strengthen Europe’s security through joint forces at the borders and a new refugee policy.
In conclusion, the former minister notes that Germany and Europe will have to do a lot to ensure their own security and strengthen the transatlantic bridge, which maintains peace in Europe and prosperity. It should be "firmly adhere to liberal values, which give rise to envy of those who seek democracy, and the reason for hatred - autocrats."
* * *
Statements and comments about values suggest the right idea: this time Mr. Trump is recorded as a number of autocrats, who does not find a common language with Europe. Long ago, since the election campaign, he took the cheeky tone of a terry businessman, who is ready to “put on the grandmother” the entire planet. The interests of this businessman above all, and he has one value: profit. Unions profitable to Europe are canceled, with Gazprom in Europe it is necessary to end, because there is American gas, Europe must fork over NATO and American arms. All this is beneficial to Washington. “America is number one!”
However, neither Germany, nor France, nor even Great Britain with its Brexit can "renounce" such an America. All are to some extent dependent - dependent on the very “old world order”.
And hope alone lives in the heart of the Angels: Trump is not eternal.
However, the angel is not eternal.
Observed and commented on Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru
Information