German Chancellor promotes militarism and great-power politics at World Economic Forum

 

German Chancellor promotes militarism and great-power politics at World Economic Forum

By
Johannes Stern

26 January 2018

The speech by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Christian Democrats, CDU) at the World Economic Forum in Davos made clear that the new coalition government being formed in Berlin will be dedicated to militarism and great-power politics. At a luxury resort in the Swiss Alps, the acting Chancellor sought to drum up support for a European defence policy that would enable Germany and Europe to enforce their economic and geostrategic interests around the world.

“If Europe, with its 27 future members, is incapable of sending a united message to major countries like China, India, the United States or Russia, and foreign policy is instead made nationally, the attempt to become a global player will fail,” warned Merkel. “If we want to be taken seriously as Europeans, we have one further major task, specifically to cooperate in the area of foreign policy.”

Seven decades after the end of World War II, German imperialism once again considers the United States, along with Russia and China, as a global rival. In her speech, Merkel railed against “isolation and protectionism,” and although she did not mention US President Donald Trump by name, it was clear to everyone that her statements were aimed at Washington. “Merkel is the anti-Trump,” was the headline of a piece in the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel on Thursday. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung commented, “There has never been so much dissension in the so-called West for some time.”

Merkel explicitly advocated a foreign and military policy independent of the US. “The fact that Europe has not been the most active continent on foreign policy, and that we often depended on the United States,…

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