It doesn’t need a genius to see that President Trump is determined to reshape the American-built international order, reforming or abolishing its cornerstone institutions.
Even Europe’s usually reactive leadership seems to have taken note and has started to wake from its slumber. The EU took the first, tentative steps towards establishing a more resilient and self-sufficient continent after years of grandiose plans and empty promises.
Well, in a very European manner.
Slowly, with many detours and marred with internal quarrels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has just announced a brand new, €800 billion defence spending plan, dubbed ‘ReArm Europe’. In that solemn moment, declaring with the seriousness expected from a global leader, she announced that ‘this is Europe’s moment, and we must live up to it’.
A new ‘national escape clause’ will allow member states to suspend budget rules and apply greater flexibility over public funding. Another novelty, an instrument offering €150 billion in loans will also be at the member states’ disposal.
So far, so good – if it weren’t for von der Leyen’s previous failed grandiose plans that cast a shadow of gloom on the project.
Starting with the questionably successful vaccine deal, another multibillion-euro program that von der Leyen sealed behind the backs of the member states. And she did it via text messages – messages which mysteriously disappeared in due course of time.
The European Union ombudsman accused the Commission of maladministration for not disclosing the messages.
The European Court of Justice has ruled that the Commission unlawfully concealed details of those vaccine procurement contracts; including the conflict of interests declarations by the officials involved in the deal.
Yet, Queen Ursula kept her throne in spite of her role in the scandal.
Then came another ‘successful’ mega-project, the Green Deal. A plan with hat led to hundreds of protests around the continent and ever-growing discontent amongst politicians, who, one after the other backed out of the project. The project came under fire from all sides of the political spectrum, then many of its provisions got reversed, step by step.
And let’s not forget that von der Leyen was propelled to the top of the European Commission from her previous position as German minister of defence.
A position she fulfilled so successfully that she’s still under investigation for several dubious contracts that led the Bundeswehr just as under-equipped and understaffed as it has been before her tenure. Nothing speaks more ‘great leadership’ than machine gun turrets fitted with broomsticks, right?
With precedents like this, one is forgiven to have a few doubts about the feasibility of this brand-new project. The more so as it can be seen as yet another attempt of von der Leyen to extend the Commission’s powers to new areas and strengthen her influence at the expense of national governments.
It’s up to the member states to keep an eye (or two eyes, as often as they can spare them) on the ReArm program.
In comes Friedrich Merz, the future German chancellor, who has already expressed his desire to make Germany the leading power of Europe (again). He has also announced his own defence spending plans.
Brace for some collision.
The more so as the two had done it before.
Back in Angela Merkel’s heydays, when both Merz and von der Leyen were influential players within the CDU/CSU. Merz himself was in a bitter power struggle with ‘Mutti Merkel’. Later, Merkel clearly favoured von der Leyen.
Thus, Merz left active politics, replacing it with legal practice and lobbyist activities (at Atlantik-Brücke).
After more than a decade, he is back, determined to transform Germany for the better, correcting the mistakes of his predecessors (among them Merkel and von der Leyen).
With a stable majority behind his back, he’ll be in a position to ensure transparency on national and European level, as well, keeping an eye on the Commission’s attempts to force yet another mistaken project on the Union.
