Europe

In the heavy turbulences of the global economic and financial crisis, and after the change of power in the USA, the world of states is re-arranging itself. An interview with the Coordinator for German-American Cooperation in the German Foreign Office, Karsten Voigt (SPD), about the European Union’s future role in international politics.

The new American President, Barack Obama, has expressed his country’s willingness to return to a close cooperation with its partners in Europe. Should we now take him at his word and offer America our active participation in shaping international politics?

Yes, obviously! If Europe wishes to have an influence on America in future, it must be relevant for America in the solution of problems. This holds for the fight against international terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons as for climate protection and the campaign against hunger, poverty, epidemics, etc. Europe must not restrict itself to being world trade power, and must also be prepared to export security and stability.

Germany, however, can engage itself with only limited means. That engagement will naturally continue militarily in Afghanistan, increasingly so politically and economically in Pakistan, and through diplomatic channels in the attempt to keep Iran away from atomic weapons. Further, to a limited extent, in preventing arms smuggling on the coast of Israel and Palestine, in combating piracy at the Horn of Africa, and in one or the other case certainly also in Africa.

Couldn’t Germany, particularly in view of its historical responsibility, assume as stronger role as mediator in the Near East? After all, it has had positive experience with a politics of “change through rapprochement”. Although I was an advocate of this policy for Europe, I have my doubts whether it can be extended on a one-to-one basis. The most important roles in the conflict are played by the local participants. But the decisive power outside the region is clearly the USA. And if the European states wish to help, then not as an alternative to, but rather as a complement of, America.

Obama is in the act of repairing the American reputation

In recent years the Americans have thoroughly ruined their international reputation. Could this be an opportunity for the EU to cast off its role as junior partner and to profile itself independently on the international stage?

Obama is now in the act of repairing the American reputation. Most of the problems in this world are soluble only if Americans and Europeans work together. A gain in political importance for Europe would be desirable, but not as a counterweight to the USA, which would only be destructive.

Yet up to now Europeans haven’t been able to handle political conflicts even within Europe without the help of the USA.

In the long run we won’t be able to continue to rely on America’s intervention in the solution of European conflicts, as most recently in the Balkans. And that’s one reason that several states, which were sceptical about a European security and defence policy, have begun to revise their positions.

What challenges do you see confronting Europe? The most important at present is certainly the international economic and financial crisis. This requires of course pro forma national and coordinated European measures. De facto, however, such measures can be successful only in close coordination with, and not in opposition to, parallel measures in the USA and Asia.

You consider the transatlantic economic partnership and linkage as an advantage and anchor of stability. But of course it could also be considered the cause of the disaster. After all, the epicentre of the crisis is in the USA.

The mutual walling-off of the EU and the USA would only worsen the crisis. I therefore look upon the first attempts towards protectionism with great concern, as for example in the (now toned-down) “Buy American” clause in the American stimulus programme and similar tendencies in Europe.

Prophets already see America emerging from the crisis re-strengthened and Europe drifting apart in consequence of national egoisms ...

Exactly that has to be prevented. And I’m quite sure that this is the widespread consensus in parliament. It would be a fatal error to seek the way out of the crisis through populist measures. Even in the urgently required regulation of financial markets it is a matter of deciding on the most coordinated European measures possible. By contrast to the ponderous workings of the EU, America is currently profiting by its tauter process of political decision-making. It has also become obvious that the European states are much more dependent on a functioning foreign trade and world economic system than is the USA, with its gigantic domestic market.

Will the EU survive the crisis unscathed?

That depends on politics and politicians. If they respond in the right way, the EU can emerge from the crisis even stronger. But politics in this connection is open-ended.

Europe must be capable of acting

The Bush administration understood brilliantly how to play off “old Europe” against “new Europe”. Has the EU at least learned it lesson?

I think the USA has also learned its lesson. Even if it has sometimes seemed otherwise in past years, the Americans too have an interest in a Europe capable of acting, because they need it as a partner. The temptation will remain to misuse differences for their own political purposes. But this is expressly not the intention of the present American administration. And as far as the states in Eastern and Central Europe are concerned, which is what people mean when they say ‘new Europe’, their history and geo-strategic situation naturally give them a different perception of international problems from that of Western Europeans. That has to be respected. And therefore a joint European policy towards, for example, Russia, is possible only if these countries feel their specific security and foreign policy interests haven’t been ignored.

Speaking of Russia, what course should the EU take towards Moscow?

Russia is often going to be a difficult partner for a long time, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t endeavour to gain her partnership. If we want nuclear and conventional disarmament, we have to conclude treaties with Russia. If we want to design an effective policy towards Iran, it would be good if Russia were to support us. And even the situation in Afghanistan would be easier if Russia were to help in one case or another. Yet criticism has to be allowed of certain elements of the inner political development in Russia and its relations with smaller neighbouring countries.