A sort ofAdvance armored tanks and Wehrmacht The division once symbolized Germany’s ambition to rule Europe. Eighty years later, this position has been completely reversed. Blitzkrieg has been replaced by Snooze-krieg as the main candidate Replacing Angela Merkel In this month’s security-first federal election, Germany tried to make modern Germany deeply ingrained in its reluctance to lead Europe on the global stage.
As the world is burning, Germany is also sleeping. Whether the challenge is an accelerating climate crisis, a disintegrating EU unity, China’s abuse of authoritarianism, a collapsed US security umbrella, or bottomless Russian malice, the most powerful country in Europe is often unable to take a stand. Emmanuel Macron’s France is randomly out. Boris Johnson’s British delusion claims to be “overweight with punches.” Berlin, by contrast, is shy in fighting.
The 16-year rule of the popular Merkel is generally considered to be beneficial to Germany in the country. Voters sadly saw her gone, and this regret was shared abroad.The first female leader in Germany is Recognized as a capable, reassuring, and trustworthy person He avoided the acting and gaffes of male politicians. Her brave response to the Syrian refugee crisis and her personal handling of the terrible twins- Chauvinistic ogre Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ——Widely praised.
However, longevity should not be confused with achievement. Good management cannot replace strategic thinking. The late West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt joked memorably: “WHO You should see a doctor if you have a vision“(“Anyone with a vision should see a doctor”). It is said that historically, it is reasonable for the Germans to have a fear of charismatic leaders. No one has ever accused Merkel of being a man. The visionary may exude charm. On the contrary, she does not want to pay attention to the overall situation, which creates the completely opposite problem.
Merkel’s response to the European sovereign debt crisis in 2009 is a good example. Admirers say that she saved the euro zone by supporting the rescue of the worst-hit member states. Critics say that this short-sighted bailout mainly benefits German banks. Implement severe austerity measures against Greece and poorer countries, Widening the North-South divide in the EU. Their legacy continues to promote the Eurosceptic, far-right nationalist populist movement.
Merkel accused of priority Germany’s economic and business interests are higher than the EU’s unity and values of democracy and human rights -A method half-jokingly called “merchantism”. Think of her now defunct European Parliamentary Union and Hungary’s EU illegal, homosexual, authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán (Viktor Orbán) alliance. For example, he allegedly supported Merkel’s choice to serve as the chairman of the European Commission, and sadly the incompetent Ursula von der Lein, in exchange for political protection.
“The alliance between Merkel and Orban is not just for party politics; it has a typical Merkantilistic,” analysts Matthias Matthijs and R Daniel Kelemen claim. “Hungary is a major, low-wage, near-shore manufacturing center for German multinational companies… Merkel realized how good relations with the Orban regime are to Germany’s commercial interests, and used her huge influence To protect him from EU criticism.”
Merkel has also been criticized for putting profits above principles in China, and China’s global bullying and human rights violations have not prevented the huge growth of German exports. Russia is another pain point.Ukraine and Eastern European countries strongly opposed Her support for Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea natural gas pipeline.this The United States is worried that Putin’s pet project will increase Europe’s dependence on energy, But its warning is ignored.
Merkel’s friendly exchanges with dictators and dictators are considered to promote peaceful participation and influence, but it can be said that while undermining European principles, it produces almost no political benefits. Her efforts to reverse Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea were to no availShe cautiously protested the repression in Hong Kong and Belarus, and the poisoning of Putin’s most famous critics, Alexei Navalny, The actual effect is not great.
Under Merkel’s risk-averse leadership, Germany blocked credible, Independent European defense and security capabilities, This makes Macron feel very frustrated, and perhaps also makes Russia, China and the United States happy. As Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock pointed out, her record on another major issue, the climate crisis, also lacks inspiration.
After the Fukushima accident in Japan, Merkel hurriedly abandoned nuclear power, making Germany more dependent on coal and imported natural gas. Since then, the pace of promoting renewable energy has slowed down. The catastrophic flooding in the western region in July increased the risk. She now admits that Germany must take more measures to reduce carbon emissions. But this will not be done by her.
Merkel failed to lead by example on some of the major challenges faced EuropeWith the authority given by her long-term tenure and experience, it was her biggest disappointment during her tenure as prime minister. Even her “US can do!“(“We can do it!”) The moments during the refugee crisis in 2015 cannot conceal the subsequent failure to implement the EU-wide asylum agreement. To be fair, Merkel is different from others, she did her best.
Maybe she committed excessive pragmatism. Maybe she was too worried about the old ghost. Or, this unwillingness to provide a strong lead in Europe reflects the positive preference that Germans generally share, and they want to live a peaceful life in the noisy world around them. Considering that Germany’s prosperity depends on stability, some people may think this is wise, some people may think it is stupid and selfish.
Regardless of the truth, Merkel’s most likely successor is Amin Raschelt or Olaf Schultz, There is no sign that the mantra of Merkel’s school of governance strategy of “stable and steady, beware of foreign-related entanglements” should be changed. Both were selected as “continuous candidates.” On major global issues, both are doing their best to make themselves sound and look like Merkel-even though “Mudi” wears pants much better than them.
In a world full of conflict, populism, epidemics and poverty, who will speak for Europe? Certainly not an ineffective Brussels bureaucracy. Britain has fallen into the geopolitical bus. France lacks strength. The strategically poor Germany fell asleep on the steering wheel. The answer should be obvious.
Unless and until Berlin wakes up and lays down its hair like Rapunzel, the surrounding enemies of democracy will continue to thrive.
