When we read 2 contradicting statements from the same European government in Germany – links below – within the span of 24 hours we should understand the problem in the EU nowadays is the continued confusion about how to deal with Covfefe the Joker & Clan – and here I am talking strictly about the current U.S. administration NOT the United States as we know it – this after over a year since he was sworn in as President. And to be completely frank this goes beyond dealing with the current U.S administration; the EU really needs a unified/well coordinated message/voice when dealing with complex political & economic issues period. As for Covfefe different strategies of appeasement have been tried & failed miserably and yet confusion continues within the EU about how to deal with this administration. Here’s a simple/unsophisticated clue; stand up for Europe and for it’s values irrespective of purely transactional politics simply because your future existence and/or influence as a major political/economic block depends on it. In my view the Covfefe presidency must be seen as an opportunity for the EU to evolve from the static/weak/reliant bureaucracy to a vibrant model of progressive/efficient structure that is ready/able/willing to defend it’s own interests independently – without excuse and at every level. It may sound easy but I recognise it is NOT; that said I also happen to believe it is doable & feasible and a process that can be done incrementally and relatively quickly. This should have been the approach adopted early on in the life of the EU but overconfidence introduced quite a few blind spots and the Covfefe phenomenon only shined the light on them. The main take away from this post are 2 things;
- Improved structural reforms to ensure better/constant coordination between member states while ensuring that politically sensitive statements need to be vetted to ensure consistency. There also needs to a bias towards translating current events to long term strategies for the organisation rather than reactionary short term policy.
- The main objective based on lessons from the recent past is the need for an independent, capable & willing EU that is able to defend it’s interest not just in rhetoric but also in action & clear statements – without excuses; all blind spots need to be covered.
I mentioned in a previous post that Liberal Democracy in this day and age needs to have firm teeth to survive and the ability to proactively/rigorously defend the values that form it’s corner stone. This requires hard work, compromise and creativity in debating difficult issues and forming policy within the EU. We are where we are now, so let the focus be squarely on fixing the issues we face without blame/pointing fingers.
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