May 29, 2017
COMIC GOLD:
Merkel Says EU Can No Longer Count on U.S. (Michael Birnbaum and Rick Noack, 5/29/17, The Washington Post)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday declared a new chapter in U.S.-European relations after contentious meetings with President Trump last week, saying that Europe "really must take our fate into our own hands." [...]It was an unusually stark declaration from the normally cautious head of Europe's most powerful economy, and a grim take on the transatlantic ties that have underpinned Western security in the generations since World War II. Although relations between Washington and Europe have been strained at times since 1945, before Trump there has rarely been such a strong feeling from European leaders that they must turn away from Washington and prepare to face the world alone.
The German leader received a minute-long ovation for her comments, which came as she seeks to whip up voter support ahead of September elections. Although her message was partly aimed at her own electorate , it was a measure of how badly relations have deteriorated with Trump's United States that hitting Washington now wins votes while working with it could be perilous.The remarks were a clear repudiation of Trump's troubled few days with European leaders, even as Merkel held back from mentioning the U.S. president by name. On Thursday, Trump had harsh words for German trade behind closed doors. Hours later, he blasted European leaders at NATO for failing to spend enough on defense, while holding back from offering an unconditional guarantee for European security. Then, at the Group of Seven summit of leaders of major world economies on Friday and Saturday, he refused to endorse the Paris agreement on combating climate change, punting a decision until this week.Merkel's comments were similar to some she made shortly before Trump's inauguration in January. But they carry extra heft now that Trump is actually in office -- and after Trump had a days-long opportunity to reset relations. Instead, by most European accounts he strained them even more."The belief in shared values has been shattered by the Trump administration," said Stephan Bierling, an expert on transatlantic relations at Germany's University of Regensburg. "After the inauguration, everyone in Europe was hopeful that Trump would become more moderate and take into account the positions of the G-7 and of NATO. But the opposite has happened. It's as if he is still trying to win a campaign."
Perhaps the only thing less serious than Donald's posturing--imagine how fast he'd fold to public pressure if one of our European allies faced any threat at all--is Ms Merkel's delusion that the EU will do anything to enable itself to stand alone--imagine going to those electorates and telling them that they have to forgo some social benefits to pay for a Euro military.
Posted by Orrin Judd at May 29, 2017 5:43 AM