ER Editor: There is a new government now in Germany, so Merkel has officially gone. Here is what The Duran team of Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou have to say about it.
Notes
- Christoforou: Apart from a ceremony a few days ago, there’s been no fuss about it. The new govt doesn’t look very strong, either.
- Mercouris: Her departure was extraordinarily anti-climactic. There is a sense of awareness that this supposed titan that dominated German and EU politics is a titan made of straw, who has left Germany and Europe in a much weaker place than when she found it. But there’s no optimism for the future, either, as the coalition that’s been formed doesn’t add up, despite Olaf Schulz generally regarded as a level-headed person. The various parts of it don’t make sense, and its projects are globalist and utopian to an extreme degree, out of tune with many Germans and Europe generally. Merkel has effectively left like a thief in the night; the new people are unconvincing.
- How long is the govt going to last – the ‘traffic light’ coalition? Mercouris: the German political and constitutional system was established after WWII to create stability and not fall. So it could survive its full four years even as the various parties quarrel. So there could actually NOT be a German government at all and for a very long time. If we are in that situation, and the AfD capitalize on the breakdown of the coalition (which means it could win more seats, even in west Germany), then the dysfunctional coalition could go on even longer. The immobilism of Merkel could give way to a chaos and a vacuum at the centre of Germany. Whatever we think of her, she WAS the keystone of the arch of German politics – she held things together. With her gone, things look much more fragile, even though nobody is sorry to see her go. Christoforou: she was bad for Europe; she hollowed out the political system with no viable successor being left in place. And within Europe more generally. Mercouris: That’s how she remained in power for as long as she did. She’s like a plant that destroys everything around it. She destroyed every political figure that could have posed a threat to her; all the parties have been weakened, such as her own party, the CDU – it’s shrunk to half its size. Only the Greens have grown, but they’re not convincing. And it’s largely due to Merkel – she weakened all the political forces around her because it was how she remained in control. In terms of European politics, she didn’t hold things together – she caused the political culture of Europe to wither away, where people like Ursula von der Leyen are actually considered important. That is her legacy – people sense it even though they can’t fully articulate it. But at least she provided stability at the centre; now with nobody to take her place, the stability isn’t likely to last.
- If Macron wins next year in France, will he be Merkel’s replacement to keep Europe moving towards its goals? Mercouris: That’s his dream, to move it in the direction of his integrationist agenda. He has allies in the new German govt. The Greens have the same goal of a federated Europe, except he wants it to control it with France at the helm, whereas the Greens want to use it to impose their green policies on everyone in Europe. The problem is, as this project gains hold, if Macron asserts himself, as well as the Greens, they will push down the accelerator on a car that is already disintegrating and breaking down. Merkel DID understand how rickety the car actually was, so she never pushed things too far. But a Macron/Green alliance could make everything break down. Christoforou: Macron’s also closely aligning himself with Italy in order to move some chess pieces, to take charge of the EU. Mercouris: Yes. Schulz may not be too happy with Macron doing this, but if the Greens go along, there may be a power vacuum in Berlin with Macron taking advantage of it. The constraints moving forward, however, aren’t going to be political but economic. We’re going to see increasing strains in the euro-system, so fast acceleration of this program will cause major strains in the European economy. If these people get what they want, it could collapse the system much faster. That’s the difference with Merkel. Christoforou: So the population has to be controlled so that their various mandates and policies get signed onto very very fast (read between the lines here for this Youtube broadcast). Mercouris: Yes. Macron is the most authoritarian leader in Europe, with the Greens being the most authoritarian party. Whatever counterculture stuff they proclaim, the reality is they are no such thing.
- Could Merkel do a bait and switch and end up running the EU? Mercouris: if things in Germany do fall apart, it’s not impossible that they could turn to her. She probably wants a cushy job such as head of the IMF, most likely. Lagarde is doing it now (IMF / ECB), but she’s been a failure, so why not invite another failed leader in? Or maybe UN Secretary General. But then she’d have to get the Chinese and Russians on side. That could work, perhaps.
- How will Merkel be remembered? Mercouris: Like Metternich, as someone who set the scene for Europe’s collapse. The emperor who had no clothes, who weakened Germany. She made 3 very bad decisions: 1. During the 2008 financial crisis, she decided to bail out the banks by loaning to those countries in trouble and imposing impossible financial conditions on them, putting them in a straitjacket. She distorted and corrupted the notion of a European monetary system; 2. She locked Germany and Europe into a confrontation with Russia over Ukraine. It was a massive mistake. 3. She opened up the borders of Europe allowing mass migration. Her overall legacy is malign. She also conducted politics in Europe and Germany itself in a way that has created an incredibly dysfunctional situation in both places, leading to stagnation at a political and economic level.
- Goodbye, Merkel. Goodbye and good riddance. Although will the next person be worse?
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Merkel exits German and EU politics
THE DURAN
Episode 1161
Source
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