On July 1, Germany will become the chairman of the EU Council for six months during the worst crisis since 1945. The country’s European motto for the next six months is “Together. Let’s make Europe strong again”. According to the German ambassador to Vienna, Ralph Best, it has a certain similarity with the slogan of US President Donald Trump – “Make America Great Again”.
As Ralph Beste explains in an interview with the Wiener Zeitung, striving to make your country or organization strong is a perfectly legitimate desire, including for the United States. In the case of the German presidency in the EU, we are talking about the strength and self-assertion of Europe – “and this is what we subordinate a lot”, the ambassador said.
According to the diplomat, Angela Merkel’s course of action in the context of the coronavirus crisis showed that she had nothing to fear: no one would call her a “lame duck” now that she is ending her career as German chancellor. In the elections in 2021, Merkel does not intend to stand as a candidate, the newspaper reminds.
“I see a lot of recognition for her work and her recent initiatives, in which there is not a hint of lack of determination”, – Ralf Beste emphasized in an interview with Austrian journalists.
“So I am confident that she will be able to make good use of her authority”.
At the same time, it is obvious that the necessary solutions can be found only if all 27 EU states follow a single common course. Germany, of course, is the largest European country, but it cannot achieve anything on its own, warned Ralph Best.
According to him, in the post-war times, Germany has formed a complex relationship with the government and pursuing its own interests. It became part of the country’s DNA after 1945, and the Germans do not seek to significantly change the situation.
“Only the EU on a global scale has sufficient power to change something”, – Ralph Beste explained.
At the same time, Germany, like any other country, has its own interests, which it tries to follow. This applies, for example, to the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, in the project of which Austria is also participating. The eurozone was formed on the basis of German ideas, and in industrial policy Berlin also largely sets the tone in Europe.
In the past, Germany was more difficult than other states to openly discuss its interests, but now, according to Germany’s proposals on the EU reconstruction fund, it is clear how openly Berlin is talking about them in the current situation. This initiative as a whole means a serious change in the country’s position, and now it is not based on dedication and altruism, but is guided by its own interests – the welfare of Germany and the unity of Europe, the German diplomat emphasized.
To the comment of the journalist of the publication that Germany has repeatedly changed its position on key issues to the opposite – for example, regarding nuclear energy, migration policy or budget planning – Ralph Beste objected that his country is not alone in such course changes. It would be strange if the whole world was changing, and Germany constantly insisted on maintaining the old order.
In addition, changes in the course of German politics have led to a stable growth of the country’s economy over the past ten years. And with the UK’s exit from the EU, expectations of Germany’s leadership in the EU Council only increased.
“Now they look at us more attentively, and the times when we could make decisions only for ourselves are over. We now have to adapt to this”, – Beste said in an interview with the Wiener Zeitung.
Agreeing with the journalist of the publication that Germany sometimes changes its position without preliminary broad discussions, the German diplomat, however, noted that in times of crisis it is especially important to act quickly. This is the case with the current coronavirus pandemic. It was the same with the migration crisis. With regard to the European Recovery Fund, it was important on this issue that everyone knows Germany’s position as soon as possible – and this happened when Berlin and Paris came up with a joint proposal.
For the next six months, the agenda in the EU Council will be determined by the crisis caused by the coronavirus, Brexit and the formation of the EU budget, Ralph Besté said. In addition, there remain such topics that Germany will raise itself. Among other things, this applies to relations with China and Africa.
China is a “partner, competitor, and sometimes a rival” for the European Union, the German ambassador to Austria is convinced. China strives to become a world power, it is closely connected with Europe in economic terms and exerts an increasing influence on the European economy and society.
“The rise of China requires us to constantly adapt to reality, and we as Europeans must find a common line on China as quickly as possible”, – Ralph Besté urged.