Post photo: Crumbling European flag | © Shutterstock
On the occasion of the – sometimes very convincing – statements by Christian Moss and Heinrich Kuemmerle About the development, entanglement and self-suffocation of Europe - as a significant force in world politics - I would like to share a few sketchy thoughts on the reorientation of European politics as I deem it necessary - coupled with the note that the galaxy, however, does not give a damn can we still do it!
Since we currently have no other choice anyway, we should - in view of the global balance of power, lines of conflict and manifest conflicts - primarily without any further "value reference" - make it clear to ourselves that, fortunately or with a high degree of probability, we will always, among other things, with reference to the post-war decades are still in a far-reaching parallel of interests with the USA, even if some of them were the worst 'villains', certainly not angels of peace.
This also includes the fact that the USA - with a completely different history, also a special founding history that continues to have an impact, a completely different geopolitical situation and power structure - does not see Europe itself as a totally indispensable apple of the eye. However, we are extremely important to them, so that they would probably go to great lengths, also in the future, to work together with us and to do a lot in our interest, as long as it doesn't jeopardize their own existence ... and us maybe someday do something substantial yourself.
However, this presupposes – not only for reasons of dignity, but also the ability to have a substantial say – that Europe can bring a completely different weight to the geopolitically decisive conflicts and conflicting interests, i.e. a quantum leap more efficient military and more efficient military spending. You can't be a trading superpower and a military dwarf at the same time with a free pass, you have to be at the forefront of both. This shows the last sleeper - a political state of consciousness that has been common in Germany for a long time - the latest development in the neighborhood.
Such a quantum leap presupposes that the core countries of Europe, since the founding of the EEC, which also have the most cultural and interest-related post-war parallelism, i.e. Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg or something similar, here - given pan-European structures or here - coordinate as much as possible, this expressly also omitting other countries, which can only be included in this group if they are willing to fully adhere to them.
However, so that there are no obstacles to decision-making here, far advanced, systematic, non-competitive supranational industry and trade agreements that go beyond the previous back and forth in the EU should also only be put into effect in this circle, so that there is no cherry picking by the onlookers either in economics, while avoiding hard labor in the military.
A synergistic military, economic and financial policy agenda for the next ten years with clear milestones must be written here. Until then and beyond, I believe that the Brussels developments, not just bureaucratic ones, can be pushed on – but if possible not even more 'spread out' – in order to keep the rest of them – also historically different, if it gets stupid meandering towards convergence for decades to come or newer accession countries or even accession candidates, if they so wish. But no more please, by creeping after them merkeloid to the point of self-denial.
In this context, it is of course commendable if, for example, the conditional mechanism against Hungary and its corrupt overall structure finally gets going, unfortunately with a further ban on starting operations until autumn of this year. It still rings in my ear, how Christian Moss has indicated that even the Hungarian members of the European Parliament, who still have suggestions and options open to them in Brussels and Strasbourg, are being eyed by their own secret service and harassed in their homeland. You have to be able to name and sanction something like this with a "core European voice", not just as an - pompous but shy - national gesture by Germany or France or Austria or the Commission, etc., without everyone having to agree, or you just don't agree dare.
“Core Europe” should by no means act aggressively towards the “rest of Europe”, but even – given success quite automatically – become a role model that people prefer to follow today rather than tomorrow, bindingly through intergovernmental agreements. In order for this core Europe to develop radiance - not because of its great values, but because of its great performance - you should no longer carry these terrible "values" in front of you as a monstrance, rather 'price them in' unspoken and as a matter of course, since they are specifically between the core European countries are very similar or even congruent in one way or another.
Above all, one should no longer wallow in their perceived lack of alternatives – almost as a substitute after regular failure in substantive questions and with a big appeal only venting to oneself. Human rights, for example, should be upheld and demanded in a very substantive, but also limited way that does not require interpretation, i.e. only 'in small, valuable pots', but not to hone them further and further into all areas of politics, whole battalions of lawyers should be busy with them, that's how it should be Drive out momentum, courage and self-efficacy from this Europe, just because maybe in some country - like it Klaus von Dohnanyi mentioned so wonderfully as an example for Hungary - in school books for ten-year-olds it is not included that homosexuality is not a problem at all. This is true in the enlightened-ideal sense or should and the non-observance of this is actually painful for many people, but it is not about torture or deprivation of liberty and about anything that has to be discussed decisively and for a long time in a prominent place in the media, especially when entire populations are not mentally at that point yet!
Anyone who also takes a moment to consider how profoundly social and philosophical concepts have emerged in our own history of ideas - and can also be 'thought about', for example the deeply anti-democratic reflections of Nietzsche and others, which are not entirely stupid - will realize that one can be very convinced of our democratic social system, but it is by no means without alternatives and therefore requires a possibly very substantial commitment to its preservation. Democracy is not an absolute. Rather, it is a mistake bordering on madness to assume that this is somehow the case - a mistake that also ensures that you do not defend yourself and behave as long as it is necessary, but rather bleat loudly like a sheep because you believes that this is in the wolf's actual interest.
Anyone who has seen how enthusiastically some Chinese have expressed themselves on the street about their country's ability to really 'get over it' with the corona pandemic, unlike the West - probably very prematurely, of course, because the big end is still to come for them , but at least in a self-reproached contrast for unquestionably a lot of other pain (!) - , it should be clear to him that we can and should stand up for our system, more than before, but above all with reason. We are not the end of the story - a story, for example, which continues to turn only out of farce and stupidity outside of us and overlooks its actual having already come to itself. Anyone who thinks like that will perish, but then find it quite outrageous in actu ... but nevertheless bring it up energetically: like a small child who blames the parents because they didn't have to put on gloves, but now their fingers are freezing.
For Europe, my country, my family, my children and myself, I finally wish for something other than all this chatter and far too little substance! It may be that after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Europe, which has become ever larger and more fragmented, was a necessity. The fact that this led and still leads to political dwarfism is a fact Helmut Schmidt often made clear. Now with this war, in which this political dwarfing of Europe – accepted for too long by German-Merkelian politicians and encouraged, even if certainly not wanted – bears the decisive blame, the rudder must be turned around: the paralysis must stop!
And we don't have any socio-conceptual or value-related differences in core Europe, so it's pretty much self-explanatory that we stand together, because at least we core Europeans - in the sense described above, even if historically possibly not completely correct - even without further constant discussion at the core of our conception of life. If one were to hold a referendum 'just for fun' on such a 'combined agenda' as described above - not on constitutional issues or the like, which is also nice, but puts the horse before the reins - it would certainly still happen, despite of all decades of mental 'wandering around', a very large majority - in maximum disgust at our galloping inabilities in an increasingly inhospitable regional and global neighborhood - vote for energetic self-empowerment: Bit by bit, quickly and undeterred! No one wants to be a jerk, especially a precarious corner of the continent!
The Europa-Union must now also make itself heard harder, more demanding for the sake of Europe's continued existence, and if necessary also in a polarizing manner without hesitation! Inclusion is nice, but exclusion is sometimes inevitable!
"The crisis of European existence has only two ways out: the demise of Europe in alienation from its own rational meaning of life, the decline into hostility to the spirit and barbarism, or the rebirth of Europe from the spirit of philosophy."
Edmund Husserl, The crisis of European humanity and philosophy, Lecture on May 7th and 10th, 1935 in Vienna
