Freelance: why German Chancellor Merkel stands for greater independence of Europe

German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that Europe is no longer a priority in US foreign policy. She stated this in an interview with the Financial Times.

“US attention to the EU is weakening, no matter who holds the presidency,” Merkel said. - Ex-President Barack Obama has already talked about the "Asian Age", if you look from the point of view of the United States. It also means that Europe is no longer in the center of world events, so to speak. ”

In these circumstances, she called on the EU to pursue a more independent policy, although it noted that the transatlantic partnership remains extremely important in terms of “values ​​and interests”.

“We in Europe and especially in Germany should take more responsibility,” said Merkel.

Another challenge for the EU is Brexit. According to her, Britain’s exit from the EU is a signal, after which Europe should begin to act decisively. At the same time, she reaffirmed her reputation as a supporter of European unity.

“I consider the European Union a guarantee of our continued existence,” said the Chancellor. “Germany is too small to exert its own geopolitical influence, and therefore we need to use all the advantages of a single market.”

Speaking of disagreements with the United States, Merkel noted that their causes are “structural” in nature. One of the points on which the opinions of the two countries differ is the trade war between the USA and China. The Chancellor does not share the position of Washington, which unleashed this economic conflict. According to her, she does not intend to perceive the PRC as a threat only because the Chinese economy is developing successfully. However, she did not rule out that the EU would be drawn into the US-Chinese confrontation.

“Can the European Union come under pressure in the light of the confrontation between America and China? This is not impossible, but we can also try to prevent it, ”she said.

The politician also believes that one should not rely solely on the United States on the issue of security and protecting the interests of EU countries: Europeans should develop their own military capabilities and be prepared for the fact that they will have to use them in those regions that are beyond the scope of NATO's attention. She cited Africa as an example.

It should be noted that last year, German Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer spoke in favor of expanding the presence of the Bundeswehr abroad. At the same time, she mentioned Mali, where a small German contingent operates within the framework of the multidimensional integrated mission of the United Nations Stabilization Organization (MINUSMA), and the French military took the main role in the fight against local Islamists.

• NATO military
• © Ints Kalnins / Reuters

American factor

The ideas expressed by Merkel in an interview are largely consistent with the agreement on the expansion of security cooperation signed in Germany between France and Aachen last January. It provides for close cooperation between the two countries in 15 areas. Among them are European politics, anti-terrorism security and defense.

According to Dmitry Levy, associate professor at the Department of European Studies at St. Petersburg State University, the ambiguous policies of the current US leadership are pushing Germany and Europe as a whole to rethink their role.

“The decisions of US President Donald Trump have recently become more and more strange, less and less clear and beneficial to Europe. Therefore, the desire of Germany to act on the basis of its own interests and a more complex picture of the world than Trump’s, is understandable, ”he said in an interview with RT.

The expert noted that the Trump administration poses difficult questions for Brussels, for which Europeans are not yet ready.

“What to do when the United States wage a trade war with China or consider the EU countries as competitors? Because of this, Brussels' policies are becoming more and more cautious, especially regarding Washington, ”Levy believes.

Under these conditions, the analyst believes, "Germany seeks to have her hands free when making foreign policy decisions."

• © Virginia Mayo / POOL / AFP

Army problem

According to experts, the real evidence that the EU really decided to pursue a more independent policy, distancing itself from Washington, will be the creation of the EU army.

One of the main supporters of the idea of ​​the emergence of the European armed forces is French President Emmanuel Macron. In 2018, he advocated the formation of an EU army. Last November, Macron even stated that NATO had "brain death."

“Since 2014, Germany has been talking about a new culture of responsibility in foreign policy, in which the Federal Republic of Germany should be more actively involved in international conflicts, not to shift everything to a senior partner - the United States. However, talk is one thing, the creation of a European army is another. Theoretically, its appearance is quite possible. After all, we are not talking about a gigantic structure that would unite all the troops of the EU countries. It can be a compact formation of a couple of thousand soldiers and officers, ”said Vladislav Belov, head of the Center for German Studies at the Institute of Europe, RT.

However, analysts are not sure that such plans will be implemented. This may be hindered by the position of a number of EU countries, in particular Poland, which is critical of this idea.

“Germany and France have great political independence from the United States. But there is, for example, Poland, which traditionally goes more in line with American politics than European. It can be assumed that individual EU states will interact more closely on specific issues, but it’s too early to talk about a single army, ”Levy said.

According to experts, deeper cooperation between the EU countries in the field of economics is much more likely, but it will not lead to the fact that Europe will assume more responsibility in the foreign policy sphere.

“Germany and France will not distance themselves from the United States in the near future and in the long run, despite all the statements by their officials about the need to strengthen the“ European vector ”. And this means that the EU, whose policies are largely determined by these two countries, does not distance itself from its overseas ally, ”concludes Belov.