PART II
WHAT ABOUT FRANCE, THE BREXIT AND CHINA AFTER MERKEL ERA ?
The author : Frank Schwalba-Hoth (born 12 December 1952 in Hamburg, Germany) is a former politician, founding member of the German Greens and former MEP. After his graduation from high school (Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium in Geesthacht) and his military service, Frank Schwalba-Hoth studied at the University of Marburg from 1974 to 1981. With all his experience and expertise, this German key player living in Brussels does us the honor to enlighten us on the essential issues for the future of Europe.
FRANCE
The Franco-German relation developed during the last 150 years from hell to heaven: the “hereditary enmity” with three wars (1870/71, 1914-1918, 1939-1945) was followed by a period of “reconciliation” (1945-1963) and since 1963 by a cooperation called “Franco-German Friendship”. The development of the European Union has shown that the relation between those two major countries in the heart of the continent became the undisputable stability anchor. The political leaders are quasi “condemned” to consult, cooperate and exchange intimately on all levels of politics, administration and economics – whatever the political affiliation of the counterpart might be. That is certainly best symbolised by the event in 1984, when a (right-wing) chancellor Kohl holds hands with the (left-wing) President Mitterand in front of the graves of some 300,000 soldiers killed during 292 days in 1916 in Verdun.All of the seven possible candidates are prepared to take over that historic obligation – Merz and Söder possibly with less determination than the others.
BREXIT
For most UK citizen visiting recently the continent, the most astonishing effect is that BREXIT is not at all a key issue. While being existential in the UK even in private relations, the continent has emotionally closed that chapter. All of the seven possible candidates had argued against BREXIT, but are looking now – with a certain fatality – on the negotiations of that divorce.
CHINA
Al of the POST MERKEL 7 candidates believe in international cooperation. They all believe as well that multilateral agreements to confront the challenges of the 21th century are more effective than bilateral one’s. They all will therefore try to cooperate closely with China in issues like climate and trade. If you take the Merkel attitude towards China as the benchmark, Merz and Söder (as well as probably Brinkhaus) might show a less insisting behaviour when it comes to human rights. Those two (or three) are driven by the conviction that too many conditions are harming business and trade relations. All the others will certainly (more or less discrete) address issues as Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Religious Freedom, South-China Sea, Taiwan, Tibet and Uyghurs in the bilateral relations.
LHCH : These opinions are the views of the interviewed people. Pictures from internet are not linked with the will to get any benefits following the publishing.
