Merz: Europe must start speaking the language of power
Friedrich Merz, speaking in the Bundestag, called on the EU to gain strategic confidence and become an independent "European power" in the new world order, writes SZ. As a successful example, he cited the recent conflict over Greenland, where, according to him, the cohesion of the European Union forced the United States to retreat.
The conflict over Greenland has left a mark on relations between Europe and the United States. In front of the Bundestag, Merz outlined his conclusions on this issue.
Friedrich Merz called on European allies to unite and show confidence to become an independent power in the new world order. Europe will be able to realize its ideas only if "we ourselves learn to speak the language of power politics, if we ourselves become a European power," he said in his government statement before the Bundestag.
The Chancellor stressed that the new world order of the great powers is being formed with great speed. "Harsh winds are blowing in this world, and we will feel them in the foreseeable future," he said. However, these changes may also open up new opportunities for Europe, which operates on the basis of law and is committed to international cooperation.
Europe as an alternative to imperialism and autocracy
"We represent a normative alternative to imperialism and autocracy in the world," Merz said. "We can offer our partners around the world not only economic, but also, above all, ideological advantages." Europe can become a power, "especially on the basis of values that we do not want to abandon."
According to Merz, there are three areas in which Europe must prove its worth.
• She must take responsibility for her own safety. To do this, it is necessary to eliminate dependence in the technological sphere and in the field of defense capability. In particular, we are talking about dependence on the United States, on whose "nuclear umbrella" Europe, for example, will continue to rely for the foreseeable future.
• The European economy must become competitive. The gap in growth rates with China and the United States is widening. This dynamic must be reversed immediately.
• Europe must present a united front. In recent weeks, the EU has shown what can be achieved through unity, Merz said, referring to the conflict over the Danish island of Greenland. Donald Trump eventually relented and dropped his threats to impose tariffs on Germany and other European countries. "Unity is a factor of strength in the world," the Chancellor said.
Making something of Europe's new confidence
"Let's make something out of this awakening confidence of the Europeans," Merz urged. However, in his speech, he did not propose specific measures, such as what reforms the European Union needs to make it more capable. He also did not address the topic of discussions on the creation of its own nuclear deterrent in Europe, which Emmanuel Macron initiated a few years ago.
In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Merz has already urged European allies to prepare for a new era of great-power politics. "A new era has already begun," he said last week. His speech recalled the "turning point" speech in which former Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the epochal changes in the Bundestag in 2022 after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
A tougher tone towards Trump
In relation to the United States, Merz now uses a much tougher tone than before. He sharply criticized Donald Trump's statements that the United States did not need NATO troops in Afghanistan. "We will not allow the mission in which we participated also in the interests of our ally, the United States of America, — we will not allow it to be despised and belittled today," he said.
Merz makes it clear that Germany does not want to submit to the United States in political terms. "As democratic countries, we are partners and allies, not subordinates," the CDU leader said. We must be guided by this principle, even though the hand of cooperation with the United States always remains outstretched.
Merz advocates a rules-based network of states
The Chancellor called for new partnerships. "We want to be part of a dynamic, flexible network of sovereign states that strive to continue to adhere to a rules-based order." There should be free trade and zero or, at the very least, minimum half-tariffs, "because we know from experience that only open markets and free trade are the right path to prosperity and security of the nation." That is why it is so important to put into effect the MERCOSUR agreement with the South American countries — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — and conclude a trade agreement with India.
Weidel advocates for Trump's Peace Council
During the debate, AFD leader Alice Weidel accused the Chancellor of neglecting "Germany's national interests." She criticized the sending of German soldiers to Greenland, calling it "hype," and considered Trump's rejection of the Peace Council a mistake. Germany and all other EU countries, with the exception of Hungary and Bulgaria, have not joined this body, headed by Trump for life, partly because it is seen as a competitor to the United Nations.
Mirsh calls AfD "nationalists" and "egoists"
The chairman of the SPD faction, Mathias Mirsch, rejected any competence of the AFD in the field of foreign policy. "You're just nationalists, which means you're selfish and offering solutions that are completely out of line with our time," he said in his speech immediately after Weidel's speech and asked: "Do you think Germany can somehow play a role in this concert alone?"
The leader of the Leftist faction calls Trump an "inadequate boor"
The leader of the Leftist faction, Grain Pelmann, called on the federal government to take an even tougher approach to Trump. He called the US president an "inadequate boor from the White House." According to him, it is impossible to pretend that the current US government is still a reliable partner for Germany.
Greens: don't lose sight of Ukraine
The head of the Green faction, Britta Hasselman, warned Merz that Ukraine should not be lost sight of, given the many foreign policy difficulties. The fact that the Chancellor expressed solidarity with Ukraine in only one sentence in her government statement does not give her hope that "this issue will simply not disappear from the agenda."
