Trump Hits a Sore Spot

Now he’s on all the channels, President (elect) Trump. His remarks about Chancellor Merkel and her policy regarding refugees and about BMW are running everywhere. Just one important statement is hardly quoted – because it hurts?

It’s the sentence that the “Financial Times” opens with in its online issue. This sentence in particular is missing in most reports from Germany, or it’s carefully hidden.

„The EU is a vehicle for Germany“, so the President Elect. The “FT” supplies the following quote as well:

“You look at the European Union and it’s Germany. Basically a vehicle for Germany. That’s why I thought the UK was so smart getting out.”

That hurts, and doubly so. Because Trump is not only paraphrasing Kauders “Europe speaks German”. He also states the dominance of Germany as the reason for the exit of Great Britain.

With that, he’s hitting a sore spot. Because the German role in the Brexit was never discussed in Berlin and Brussels. Even though it was problematic – especially Merkel’s policy about refugees played into the Brexiteers cards.

Furthermore, the German handling of the EU is indeed problematic. Trump might be wrong about reducing Europe to Germany alone. The EU is much more than a “vehicle”.

The problem is instead that Berlin has brought the dynamic and dialectic in Europe to a standstill. Only German rules shall apply, the EU commission should legitimize German interests.

It does not do this by itself though, because it is really not a vehicle of the EU’s biggest country, but still a union of 28 independent states. In order for Berlin to profit, Brussels has to play along.

That is exactly why commission chief Juncker is needed more than ever…

More about the German Europe here