Germany’s projects for Europe in the article by Tino Oldani for Italia Oggi
In Germany they cast the nut. And what a nut! Enough of the decisions taken unanimously by the 27 countries of the European Union. Enough of a voting system that makes Europe increasingly weak on strategic issues at a global level, a crock pot between the US and China. If until now this address was circulating under its breath in some German study centers, now it is the weighty politicians who say it plainly. Last week, reveals the authoritative German Foreign Policy, Florian Hahn, exponent of the CDU, as well as spokesperson for the European policy of Angela Merkel’s party in the Bundestag (the German Parliament), asked that in matters of “foreign and security policy” the EU switches to a majority voting system. “The principle of unanimity”, argues Hahn, “It is reaching its limits and shows all the weaknesses of the European Union when it comes to establishing itself as a serious player in politics and on global geo-strategic issues”. Even the German government, the magazine states, has been supporting the same line for some time, albeit in a very soft way. If you think that this new direction of Germany was caused by the recent disagreements of the EU countries on the Recovery Fund, you are wrong. It all started in 2014 in Munich, where the annual security conference was held. On that occasion, the then president of the federal republic Joachim Gauck, the foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (and the then defense minister, Ursula Von der Leyen, agreed in favor of a more aggressive global policy.
Security industry experts called that breakthrough Muenchner Konsens, the Munich Consensus. And the political consequences did not take long to manifest: Germany began to increase national military spending, so much so that the current head of the Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, observed that from 2014 to date, Germany has increased its military budget by 40%. , and intends to increase it even more in the future. Greater military spending that does not correspond to Donald Trump’s calls for greater German coverage of NATO spending, but to a strongly national and European political strategy. Yes, even European: an important detail, keystone of the entire strategy.
Experts working behind the scenes of the Munich Security Conference, a foreign and military policy think-tank quite influential on government decisions, in a recent document judge what has been done so far insufficient. Faced with the escalation of conflicts between global powers, especially between the US and China, “Germany is faced with a choice of historical significance: if it simply continues its foreign and military policy, it will transform itself together with the EU into a Eurasian appendage, dominated by other powers. The current epochal shift in world politics (the rise of China and the subsequent decline of the United States, as well as the bitter power struggle between them), requires Europe to take its fate into its own hands and energetically strengthen the its world policy “.
A turning point imposed by facts, comments German Foreig Policy, given that Berlin and the EU have largely failed in their plans to gain control of the belt of states around Europe, from North Africa to the Middle East to Ukraine. Judgment confirmed by Josep Borrel, EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs: «Our neighborhood, from Libya to Belarus, has been overwhelmed by flames over the last few years. For this reason it is urgent to intensify the efforts of the EU on a global scale ». An invitation that opens an open door in Germany, as confirmed by the document of the Munich Conference, which proposes “a planned and systematic approach”.
In summary: «To make Europe capable of acting, Germany must first define its strategic interests at the national level. Then it should consolidate its leadership role within the EU, as the largest member state of the Union. Only if Germany takes on its leading role will Europe be able to act sovereignly in all areas of foreign and security policy “. This will serve “to address global threats, such as global warming, migration and pandemics, but also to compete in the field of artificial intelligence and other strategic technologies”. The strategy of a two-speed Europe could not have been clearer.
But for this to be possible, “a strengthening of the decision-making structures of the EU” is needed. Hence the proposal for majority voting in the European Union, launched by Florian Hahn before the Bundestag. And if in Brussels they were to oppose, writes German Foreign Policy, “the requests for alternative solutions are getting stronger”. The most recent was launched by the president of the Federal Security Academy, Ekkehard Brose, who proposes “a coalition of the willing” within the EU, “a Kerneuropa capable of acting”, that is to say a core of countries in agreement with Germany to intervene “on a case-by-case basis on matters of foreign and military policy”.
Line shared by Theo Sommer, former head of planning staff at the Ministry of Defense, columnist for the weekly Die Zeit. «If necessary, it will be a Kerneuropa that will move forward. Germany has cast the dice. And Italy
Will enter the military core of Germany’s friendly countries, or stay out
That it may be the government of wheeled benches and scooters seems like a joke. Unfortunately, it’s the sad reality.
Article published on ItaliaOggi

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