An Essential Part of the West

2016/11/09
WASHINGTON/BERLIN
(Own report) - After Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections, the
German government announced that it will continue its close cooperation with the
United States and is calling for enhancing Germany's position in the transatlantic
relationship. Chancellor Angela Merkel "offered" President-elect Donald Trump "close
cooperation" on the basis of particular conditions. Jrgen Hardt, the German
governments Coordinator of Transatlantic Relations, spoke of the "necessity for us
Europeans, and particularly for us Germans, to assume more responsibility." This
"responsibility" would "grow" under a US President Trump and this concerns "all ...
instruments of foreign and security policy." The call for more German influence
reiterates positions recently voiced in Berlin's foreign policy establishment,
demanding "not to leave stability policy proposals up to the USA," but to
independently evaluate how to "shape the future global order." German Defense
Minister Ursula von der Leyen and Chairman of the Munich Security Conference,
Wolfgang Ischinger, are linking this demand to a call for significantly increasing the
German military budget.
Lost Control
After Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections, the German
government announced that it will continue its close cooperation with the United
States and is calling for Germany to strengthen its position in the transatlantic
relationship. In Berlin, initial reactions to Trump's victory were marked by big
surprise, because not only the opinion-forming media, but also polling institutes in
the United States had predicted Hillary Clinton's victory right up to the end. This was
a gross miscalculation that has its parallels on the European continent, such as the
Brexit Referendum and the FP success in Austrias presidential elections. It also
shows that the ruling establishment has not only lost its control over large sectors of
the population but is not even conscious of their sentiments. Therefore, in their initial
reactions, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and leading German
foreign policy experts called the US election result a "huge shock."[1]
On a Par
This morning, Jrgen Hardt (CDU), Coordinator of Transatlantic Relations already
raised the demand to significantly enhance Germanys position within the framework
of the transatlantic alliance. "The transatlantic Partnership is, and will continue to be,
an indispensable pillar of German foreign policy," Hardt declared. "We will extend our
hand to the new US administration and hope that we can build on the close and
trusting cooperation of the past." This particularly includes "the close cooperation
within the NATO alliance."[2] There is, however, the "necessity for us Europeans and,
particularly for us Germans, to assume more responsibility and to throw more weight
onto the balance," Hardt explained. This "responsibility" would "grow" under a US
President Trump and concerns "all ... instruments of foreign and security policy." The
intention of enhancing Germany's position and, if possible, be "on a par" with the
USA, has already been expressed in the statements by the German chancellor and
foreign minister. Merkel underlined her "offer" to "closely work" with President-elect
Donald Trump on the basis of particular conditions ("common values"). Steinmeier
was quoted saying, "just as we Germans, in the past, have learned a lot from our
American friends, we should now give encouragement to our American friends."[3]
"Shaping the World Order"
Demands from within Berlin's foreign policy establishment that Germany enhance its
position within the framework of the transatlantic alliance have become louder over
the past few days and weeks. For example, according to a recently published
analysis of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), global
policy intentions currently "have only little prospects of success, without the
participation of the American hegemon." Nevertheless, it is indispensable "to ponder
the reaction, should US behavior become counterproductive from a German
perspective." "Without the will to argue with the US government, many options for
gaining influence are excluded from the outset."[4] In the future, "Germany and
Europe should not leave stability policy proposals up the USA" continues the
analysis. "The trans-Atlantic relationship," as well as "how to shape the future global
order" must be independently evaluated.
More Money for the Military
The influential diplomat and Chair of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang
Ischinger expressed similar views in the current issue of the foreign affairs journal,
"Internationale Politk." Germany is "today ..., without question, an essential part of
the West," writes Ischinger in his detailed article. "To enumerate Germanys
important roles for the West" is "no expression of megalomania." However, to keep
abreast of its important position, "Europe," must invest more heavily in its military.
"We need ... more urgency in the establishment and development of effective
European defense structures."[5] At the end of the 1980s, Germany was still
spending "nearly half" of its budget "on foreign and security policy questions, in the
broader sense of the terms." "Today, it is in the range of about a tenth." We can no
longer afford this, "given our full treasury and an expanding crisis zone inside and
outside Europe's borders." This morning, Germany's Minister of Defense, von der
Leyen, confirmed this, promising a massive increase in Germany's military budget.
This has already been explicitly announced on various occasions by Chancellor
Merkel. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[6])
With Trump Against Muslims
Since some time already, Ischinger has been calling for significantly expanding
western operations in Syria, to substantiate his call for Germanys greater global
influence. One should not "a priori categorically exclude the use of military force,"
Ischinger declared over the weekend.[7] Beginning in January, Berlin will be carrying
out operations in Syria and other Islamic countries alongside the nation, whose
president-elect has used excessively chauvinist language, not only in relationship to
women, but toward Muslims as well. The future Commander-In-Chief of the war
against IS - in which Germany is participating - called for Muslims in the USA to be
registered and foreign Muslims being banned from entering. He expressed himself in
derogatory language toward Islam. From Berlin's perspective, attaining global power
in the framework of the transatlantic alliance is, of course, more important than the
effects Germany's main ally has on the war-torn countries of the Islamic world.
[1] Von der Leyen ist "schwer schockiert". www.spiegel.de 09.11.2016. Deutsche
Politiker schockiert von voraussichtlichem Trump-Sieg. www.focus.de 09.11.2016.
[2] Transatlantik-Koordinator zum Ausgang der US-Wahlen. www.auswaertiges-
amt.de 09.11.2016.
[3] Auenminister Steinmeier zum Ausgang der Prsidentschaftswahlen in den USA.
www.auswaertiges-amt.de 09.11.2016.
[4] Johannes Thimm: Auch ohne Trump wird vieles anders. SWP-Aktuell 64, Oktober
2016. See Weltpolitik nach Obama (II).
[5] Wolfgang Ischinger: Achse der Zuversicht. Internationale Politik
November/Dezember 2016, S. 74-79.
[6] S. dazu Auf Weltmachtniveau.
[7] "Eine Schande fr den Westen". Bild am Sonntag 06.11.2016.