Germany more Deutschland, less Europe?
Germany is becoming more Deutschland and less Europe again, it seems.
Angela Merkel is facing all kinds of criticism in her quest to keep the European family together and solvent. The Chancellor faces a tough agenda: tackle the financial crisis, prevent a coalition collaps and replace the German president. The price she pays for her European efforts is high. Loss of home voters and sliding confidence in her local market go together with growing criticism from other European countries on Berlin.
And the German captain does not like it. The Guardian heads with "Germany signals end of Love Affair". Ian Traynor writes the change in Berlin is a tectonic shift in the EU– from pushing Europe forward to balking at the sacrifices Germany has to make. France and Germany are not the united front they appeared to be. Merkel is said to imitate Sarkozy mockingly, while the French Chef is said to boast to his team how he has bested the German Chancellor.
Merkel yesterday went to visit the German soccer team, in preparation for the world cup. To show them support of course. No doubt at the same time to signal she still is first German and then European. Because this is her struggle too. She needs to balance the interest of her market as the central economic power in Europe with that of another power, the EU. And she needs to keep credibility high at home while doing so. Ian Traynor has a point when he says better communications offer the solution to that problem. The message should be loud and clear for all Germans that Europe is good for them. Angela should stress that Germany, as Europe's biggest exporter, benefits the most from a single and strong Europe. But the opposition has a field day. It is easier in politics to criticise 'the outside world' and preach nationalism, than to see that a bigger union of powers, even with major issues to solve, is the best choice.
"In the history of the European Union, " said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform thinktank in The Guardian, "I've never seen Germany so isolated before." This is not a good state of affairs. Germany should never be an outsider of debate and negociations in Europe. The logic for the German market also applies for Europe as a whole: Germany is both Deutschland and Europe, supporting one is supporting the other.
Two cheers for the EU
On the Open Europe blog, a cynical comment was posted on last weeks EU summit and the choice of UK’s Catherine Ashton as EU Foreign Minister.
They quote Sarkozy to illustrate what they feel is a lack of democratic openness in the EU household.
Asked why Cathy Ashton got the job of EU Foreign Minister, Sarkozy is clear that this was about rewarding her for pushing the Lisbon Treaty through Parliament and seeing off calls for a referendum:
“She played an essential role in getting the Lisbon Treaty through the House of Lords, which wasn’t nothing, you will agree. She is one of the British political figures – though it’s in no way up to me to judge – who most strongly promoted the Lisbon Treaty issue. I’ve also had occasion to express my gratitude to Gordon Brown for the responsibilities he shouldered, but right the way through the Lisbon process – and you know how fiercely it was discussed in the United Kingdom, it isn’t a secret for anyone – she was constantly in favour of it, she supported him courageously. And, after all, we were very happy to find British political women and men to get it through when a section of the British political class was asking for a referendum, as you know as well as I do.”
No doubt the blog has a point. But Europe is a process in the making, with good and less “open” days, pushing the Open Europe team to further unhappiness. Being a critic and cynic is easier than being a builder. Europe needs to be more open and precise in its policies and budgets, very true. And there are abundant examples of projects and budgets gone wrong. No doubt.
But Europe remains a valuable proposition and many try to construct valuable initiatives in building a better Europe and a better world. The processes and spending need to be followed and monitored up close, and think tanks like this one do have a valuable role to play here. But if you start out as “anti-block” and start every though with “NothankEU”, all you think, say and do is contaminated by this island attitude. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, Two cheers for the EU, not Three. But two anyway!