Ulrich Beck

It is indeed the case that every country is “ultimately tied to its national viewpoint”. That is no surprise, as national politicians often use the EU as an alibi to hide their own shortcomings. That is why meticulous care has been taken to avoid consistently pointing out Europe’s benefits except in basic policy speeches and political sermonising. That is reinforced still further, as Beck rightly says, by the fact that the EU’s success in promoting peace, freedom and wellbeing are taken for granted, as if they were secured for all eternity. (…) It must be part of the European self-understanding that only together will Europeans stand a chance globally. It will always be the case, however, that national interests will be brought into the common European position.(…) Bismarck once said that Germany was too small to dominate and too big for the idea of a balance of powers. That is truer today than ever before. Whenever we failed to recognise that, things got bad for Germany, Europe and then for the whole world. Europe, however, is ideally suited to ensuring a global balance of powers. Beck has written a slim volume that may please or annoy, but it is an eye-opener.

Elmar Brok: “Merkiavellismus als Prinzip”
© Süddeutsche Zeitung, 30 October 2012