German Chancellor Angela Merkel has never been considered an inspirational speaker. She even gained a reputation as a man who lulls the audience to sleep with his calm presentations. But recently everything has changed. On the campaign trail in the Munich suburb of Trudering, Merkel emerged from a beer hall with a powerful speech that made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic.
Many wondered if the Holy Spirit himself inspired Merkel. And if not, the long hours spent in the company of US President Donald Trump during the recent summit of NATO countries and "G7" could have spurred her to action. And of course, she remembered well that the federal elections in Germany were approaching.
But A. Merkel's speech was not just a pre-election move. She did not copy the former chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, who, speaking in the small town of Goslar during the election campaign in January 2003, announced that Germany would participate in the war in Iraq, regardless of whether the UN Security Council would approve it or not. A. Merkel's speech from Trudering is not pre-election agitation.
"The times when we could fully rely on others are over and I can only say that we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands," she said. One can draw the conclusion from this that Germany is turning away from the transatlantic alliance, carrying out a strategic realignment or entering a new era of insecurity. However, A. Merkel's statement means none of that.
Anyone who has been following events even remotely could have realized that the historical changes that are happening now have not started in Germany for some time. On the contrary, they were started in two fundamental countries of the geopolitical West: the USA and Great Britain. Before the election of Trump and before the Brexit referendum in Britain, Germans saw no reason for fundamental changes in the existing geopolitical order.
Nevertheless, those two events shook the foundations on which peace and progress in Europe have rested since the Second World War. Britain's decision to leave the EU may inspire other countries to follow suit. And the isolationist program of Trump under the slogan "America first" implies that the USA renounces its role as a leader in the world and, possibly, its security guarantees for Europe.
Europeans avoided a disaster of historic proportions in the May presidential elections in France. If Marine Le Pen from the ultra-right National Front had been elected, Europe would most likely end up with the euro, the EU and the common market. Continental Europe would now sink into a deep economic and political crisis.
Those who still support a united Europe should take a lesson from the near-averted disaster in France - lest it happen again. Europe needs to expand its capacity to act and respond to crises and changing circumstances. It is precisely this idea that is central to A. Merkel's speech.
At the same time, Merkel referred to ongoing debates among experts and media commentators regarding the meaning of Bergzit and the presidency of D. Trump for future transatlantic and European cooperation. When Merkel said that "we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands" she was simply stating a fact.
However, only those who hopelessly underestimate A. Merkel could think that she is ready to renounce transatlanticism. Merkel understands that the US is grounded when it comes to Europe's security. But she also understands that the election of Trump as president has cast a shadow of doubt on both American security guarantees and the shared values that have so far firmly bound both sides.
A careful analysis of A. Merkel's speech shows that she does not cast doubt on the future of the transatlantic alliance. Rather, it will be that she calls for the strengthening of Europe. Merkel realizes that if the US sacrifices its position as the leader of the international order, based on internal political considerations, a new power-leader will take their place and that there will be no world order. But there will be a power vacuum followed by chaos. And since the world is increasingly unstable, we, as Europeans, have no choice but to stand up to protect our interests. No one else will do it for us.
A. Merkel's speech was, above all, a speech about strengthening Europe. And, fortunately, Merkel got a partner in the face of French President Emmanuel Macron. Both want to stabilize the eurozone, restore economic growth and strengthen Europe's security through joint border forces and a new refugee policy.
Merkel, of course, was perfectly serious when she spoke at the Trudering. In conditions of international instability and after the barely avoided disappearance of the EU, there is no other alternative but action. This is precisely why A. Merkel's speech can have far-reaching consequences for Germany's place in the EU and for Germany's relations with France. Now, Germany is playing the role of miser-know-it-all in the Eurozone, but that role does not correspond to the new approach it must now follow. In order to demonstrate its real leadership within the Franco-German partnership, Germany must make political concessions.
Besides, the mere fact that something was said by Trump does not automatically mean that it is not correct. Germany and Europe as a whole must work much harder to ensure their security and also to strengthen the transatlantic bridge that maintains peace and security in Europe. In pursuing that project, we must hold fast to the liberal values that make us the envy of potential democrats - and the loathing of authoritarian rulers - around the world.
The author was the German Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice-Chancellor from 1998-2005; he played a key role in the founding of the German Green Party, which he led for almost 20 years
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017.
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