THree times in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, his chancellors gave a strategic choice that opened the door to a better future for Europe. Today, there is not only an opportunity, but an urgent need for the fourth such historical moment. If the new coalition government in Friedrich Merz manages to blow the chance for this crisis, and Germany and Europe will go forward. If he doesn’t work, then by the end of 2020, it may be back down and faster than most of us could imagine in our worst nightmares.
The big difference with these three earlier pivotal moments is: 1949. 1969. and 1989. year, the Federal Republic policy basically compliant with this in the United States. This time Germany must build stronger, free, democratic and Ukraine supporting Europe against Instant US policy. The most wanted moment of the Sunday election evening was when the lifelong Atlantist Merz said that Europe must “really achieve independence from the US”. (Compared to Emmanuel nearly British Sikof in the White House the next day, the German potential chancellor sounds a stronger Gaulist from the French President.)
The selection of the ADENAUER conclusion, the Grand Founding Office of the Federal Republic, to strongly integrate the Western country in the transatlant geopolitical West in the formation, and in the Integrated Europe, in accordance with the post-1945, the Cold War and Key European Partners In the new state, France and Britain. Chancellor Willy Brandt from 1969. In the east, his ostpolitika, she scattered to discover policies followed by Washington, Paris and London. Determination of the 1989 Helmut Kohl Chancellor. Year to install German unification in the further steps of European unification, including the common European currency, the US welcomed and opened the door to the French German unity. In all three cases, they were a large reservation in one or other Western capital – the fastest opposition of Margaret Thatcher with German unification – but in the wide range of history, in the German strategic elections they were in the United States Geopolitical West.
Not more today. As long as Donald Trump in a white house will not be “west” as a unique geopolitical actor. On Monday, the third anniversary of full invasion in Russia in Ukraine we had a USA scandalous spectacle that vote with Russia against the UN British-European Resolution in Support Ukraine. The United States has now joined the transactional capital and medium powers of the Bric in the attack of what was left of the Liberal International Organization that America was built. Scholar International Relations John Ikenberry once described now as Liberal Leviathan. Today, Liberal Leviathan became a rogue elephant.
Free Europe we have built since 1949. year, therefore under attacks inside and outside, and two types of threats are intertwined. Anti-liberal, populist nationalist Europe everywhere gets the country. Candidate for Chancellor for Für Deutschland (AFD), from his point of view, to describe the selection of her party – the fifth of the total vote, a clear election menu in Eastern Germany, the second of Germany in Novi Bundestag – as “historical success.” Shocking is supported from Washington. The American Vice President of JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference was an elective speech for AFD. On Sunday night, Merz noted that interventions in German democratic politics were “less dramatic from Moscow”.
After the unification of Germany in 1990. We celebrated the fact that Germany became “normal” European country. Now, in a certain sense, we have to feasing it. In order to be a normal European country today is one in which the Liberal Center drinks in the salon of the last chance. If the Liberal Center does not make changes that will defeat the voters from populist extremers will be French President 2027. years, AFD will win the German pharaga reform in the UK will cross the conservation into a free box.
The good news is to grow clarity throughout the main German and European Liberal Democratic Party about what to do. Europe must save Ukraine. We need to build up a much stronger European defense, including Britain. All of us, but especially Germany, must renew economic dynamics, without renewing the green transition, and also deal with the concerns about socio-economic and geographical inequality that voters lead to the promoters. We need to control improper migration, but success achieve the integration of a large number of immigrants, which is the only way to address our acute demographic challenge.
How to do it? How to pay for that? Obstacles within Germany are huge. The country known for its car engines is now the smartest for its brakes – including the constitutional anchored “debt brake.” However, it is true that German Chancellor has huge land management opportunities in a new direction if, like adenauer, Brandta and Kohla, they have will and skill.
Traditionally, the upcoming coalition talks between Christian Democrats and Social Democrats would result in a set of compromises involving every party that get slices from a large and growing cake. But what if the cake is reduced by two large new slices – more investment in defense and in neglected infrastructure in the country – must be kicked out of it? Obviously Germany had to somehow ease of that debtor brake, but if it really is a moment strategic change – true Tense – Then Merz will have to follow his two bright Christian democratic predecessors, Adenauer and Kohla and gave further step towards stronger Europe. For safety, defense industry, energy, green transition and AI, European needs scale To hold your own in this world to bullying giants. The solutions do not always have to include classical integration in Brussels, but they cannot only be national.
The largest German brake is all the state of mind – a curious mix of being suddenly too comfortable and too scared. As a lover of German complex nouns, I was thrilled to see that German political scientist Carl-Rudolf Korte realize this great characterizing Germany as a Wolderwardance Colors (The country constantly expects the wolf to arrive). But today wolves are actually there: two large on the door, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, and one small, Afd, but inside a hen.
To see those wolves, the Germans need a quality first of all: courage. May they take advice from their national poet. “Real Estate Lost,” he wrote Goethe, “Something lost! … honor lost, a lot lost! … courage lost, all lost!”
2025-02-26 06:00:00
