Angela Merkel Identifies U.S. as Global Rival That, Along With China and Russia, Europe Must Unite A

[Eugene]

Source: Newsweek

ANGELA MERKEL IDENTIFIES U.S. AS GLOBAL RIVAL THAT, ALONG WITH CHINA AND RUSSIA, EUROPE MUST UNITE AGAINST

BY CRISTINA MAZA ON 5/15/19 AT 5:34 PM EDT

German Chancellor Angela Merkel lumped in the United States with Europe’s other global adversaries on Wednesday, arguing that the countries on the continent need to band together against the challenges posed by Russia, China and the U.S.

“There is no doubt that Europe needs to reposition itself in a changed world…. The old certainties of the postwar order no longer apply,” Merkel told the German media on Wednesday.

“They [China, Russia and the U.S.] are forcing us, time and again, to find common positions. That is often difficult given our different interests. But we do get this done—think, for example, of our policy regarding the conflict in Ukraine,” Merkel added. “Our policies on Africa, too, now follow a common strategy, which a few years ago would have been unthinkable. So we keep putting one foot in front of the other. However, our political power is not yet commensurate with our economic strength.”

The comments hinted at the fact that at least some European leaders no longer view the United States as primarily an ally of the European Union. Merkel, for example, pointed to the U.S. dominance of technology as a challenge for Europe. U.S. companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have long dominated global markets, and in some high-profile cases have gotten into long legal battles with the EU over antitrust and regulatory policy.

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Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/angela-merkel-identifies-us-global-rival-along-china-and-russia-europe-must-1426742

[roamer65]

1. The EU needs to become a federal republic.

The Roman Empire reborn.

[AlexSFCA]

3. highly unlikely, it's less united than ever

UK-Brexit, Hungary, Poland - sharp turn to autoritarianism. In fact, Germany itself is facing rapid rise of far right support. Trump’s victory has inspired far right movements all across the globe. No one knows how this will end. There is no easy way to get rid of Balsonaro - Brazil is facing some very dark future.

[lunasun]

2. ++I understand their concern