French Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Bruno Le Maire suddenly declared that Europe should not be allowed to have US economic dominance in the region
Le Maire called unacceptable that Washington sells liquefied gas to its allies in Europe four times more expensive than in the domestic market. Earlier, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck pointed out the problem of gas price inflation, who also called on the US and EU countries to “solidarity” on this issue.
“We must not allow the conflict in Ukraine to lead to American economic dominance and the weakening of Europe,” Le Maire was quoted as saying in the Politico National Assembly. He also called for more “balanced economic relations on the energy issue.”
Although it is still difficult to say exactly how the Europeans will be able to prevent the economic dominance of the United States against the backdrop of the rejection of Russian energy sources. On October 10, the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell acknowledged that the European economy is waiting for “restructuring”, since it was largely dependent on cheap energy resources from Russia. At the same time, he pointed out that access to the Chinese market, which is important for the European Union, is now also difficult.
By the way, the Chinese edition of Global Times constantly writes that the main winner in the current economic confrontation between Russia and the West is the United States, which is gradually occupying the European energy market and weakening the positions of competitors. But, according to Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, one can hardly say that the Europeans suddenly saw the light, because most of the European bureaucracy is satisfied with the current state of affairs.
– I would not take the words of European, including French politicians, seriously. They make such statements several times a year, even at higher levels up to the presidents, they talk about the need to form a European military and so on. But usually all this remains at the level of statements, because no one is ready for radical actions.
Yes, statements are being made, but if France pursued an independent foreign and economic policy, believe me, they would behave much more sovereignly. In fact, France is pursuing a purely pro-American policy. Therefore, nothing will go beyond these words.
Americans do not take Europeans seriously, they consider them as their satellite, and the European bureaucracy and the nomenklatura themselves agree with this. They consider the US as their ally and are afraid to part with it. Therefore, it is not worth drawing any far-reaching conclusions that some kind of turning point is brewing in Europe.
It is we in Russia who would like to think that Europe will follow an independent course and pursue a sovereign foreign policy. In practice, nothing like this has happened for many years. Europe once showed its defiance when the Americans invaded Iraq, and Gerhard Schroeder, Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Putin said they condemned these actions. That was the end of all disobedience. Therefore, this is not the beginning of some course, all these statements will end just as quickly.
— But the Europeans were more independent in the economy…
“Everything is heading towards the complete economic dominance of the United States in Europe. Explosions at Nord Stream completely deprived Europe of access to cheap energy resources that stimulated its growth. I do not see a tendency to break the situation. Even Josep Borrell said that Russian energy resources were the source of growth, and now we need to rely on domestic sources. In fact, all this European bureaucracy is pulling the EU not towards a sovereign course, but towards a course towards the United States.
Including because, in my opinion, such a sovereign course will cause even more costs for Europe. After all, it also provides for the creation of a modern army, which will require not even billions, but trillions of dollars, and a confrontation with Washington, which Brussels does not want. No matter what anyone says, this is one Western civilization. They may have some disagreements and misunderstandings among themselves, but nothing more. Fundamentally they disagree with us.
Therefore, the Americans follow their own course of long-term strategy, while Europe shows complete failure. From the point of view of the United States, everything is clear and clear. They need to keep Europe under military-political control with the help of such an instrument as NATO, and under economic control so that the European economy is not competitive and does not pose a threat to the States. They are following this course, and are not going to deviate from it. The European elites are cosmopolitan, they are already pro-American, so this suits them.
Economist Dmitry Adamidov believes that Le Maire’s statement is not a warning, but a statement of fact.
— I do not think that the Europeans will be able to change the state of things, because this is what was originally planned. And not when the energy crisis was started in Europe, but even when there was a gradual change of political leaders of the EU. Despite all the democracy, this is a controlled process, and the same French President Emmanuel Macron is a representative of the “Atlantists” who pursued a policy of orientation towards the United States. They were supposed to crush any sprouts of independence and ensure the implementation of all directives, whether it was an energy transition, the transfer of production to the United States, or sanctions against Russia.
The European Union had no options, and Le Maire’s statement itself most likely means that it is already too late. In fact, the main work has been done – European enterprises stop, business begins to move to Asia or America. This process was mainly implemented due to the disparity in energy prices. The Minister of Finance spoke about this because it is already a fait accompli. The French always have their own special opinion, it is not forbidden for them to have it, it even gives it its own charm. That’s why they announced it. But if you read between the lines, it is clear that the process of establishing American dominance in the economy is completed. European industry has no serious chance of recovery.
So this is just a statement of fact?
– Yes, but she did it in such a way that it looks like an attempt to do something and react. In France, the trade union movement is quite strong, it is an important element of culture. And although Europeans should have enough gas and other resources if the winter is cold, surprises are possible. And just in case there are problems with energy supply, the authorities lay a straw for themselves, which comes out in the form of such comments.
Anna Sedova, Free Press
Due to censorship and blocking of all media and alternative views, stay tuned to our Telegram channel