Jeevan A. Robinson
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Europe going it alone?
Are we witnessing a new political ideological foundation for Europe, in light of BREXIT, and the Donald Trump election in the United States?
That may be the key question to be asked, as recent comments from German Chancellor Angela Merkel have come to the fore, where she seems to be projecting a new wave of thinking, that it is time for Europe to go it alone.
Following on from the conclusion of the G7 Summit of Leaders in Sicilly, Italy, Merkel stated, that Europe can no longer "completely depend" on the US and UK following the election of Trump and BREXIT t in the UK.
The Germain Chancellor recently expressed at an election rally in Munich: "The times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out. I've experienced that in the last few days."
Those statements by Merkel are powerful, and far reaching in terms of geo-political relations between Europe, Britain and the United States.
Could Merkel be feeling a boost of assertiveness, considering that Macron's election victory in France has given her that added confidence that the EU may well be alright to stay together?
There was some fear that if Le Penn had won the French Presidency, then a FREXIT would have been quite likely the next headache that the EU had to worry about.
Merkel took pains to address that she did in fact still want "friendly relations" with the USA and Great Britain, but she underlined her comments by sending home the message that Europe now had to "fight for its own destiny".
Her comments about no longer being able to depend on others may have to do with Trump's stance at the G7 meeting on climate change as there was a failure on Trump's part to commit to the 2015 Paris Accord climate deal.
Merkel described this Climate change impasse with the U.S as being "very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory."
That climate change headache, along with Trump, whilst in Brussels, telling NATO members to "spend more money on defence" and also refusing to re-commit his Administration to any NATO mutual security guarantee - these may have been the two factors that additionally pushed Merkel towards being more bold on Europe's new pathway forward.
Or could it be that Merkel is playing to her political base with these comments about the UK and Donald Trump? Elections in Germany are on the horizon and Merkel, according to recent poll numbers, is looking a sure bet for re-election.
