Foreign policy: Scholz: Europe Day Answer to imperialist megalomania

In a speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of Europe Day this Tuesday. May 9th was the only right answer to the world war unleashed by Germany, to destructive nationalism and imperialistic megalomania. The SPD politician also emphasized: “War between our peoples has become unimaginable – thanks to the European Union and to the happiness of all of us.” However, this dream is not a reality in all European countries, he said, referring to Ukraine’s 14-month defensive struggle against the Russian invasion.

73 years ago, the French Foreign Minister at the time, Robert Schuman, presented the so-called Schuman Declaration. It is seen as the cornerstone of the European Union. At the time, Schuman proposed the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), whose members would pool their coal and steel production. After the horrors of World War II, another war between Germany and France was to become impossible.

Scholz distances himself from Macron

Scholz, on the other hand, spoke out clearly against efforts to make the EU a third superpower alongside the USA and China. “Anyone who nostalgically indulges in the dream of a European world power, who serves national great power fantasies, is stuck in the past,” he said. Other countries would “rightly not accept a bi- or tri-polar world order”.

What is needed is a partnership that not only claims equality, but creates it, said Scholz. “The world of the 21st century will be multipolar.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, recently advocated an EU as a global center of power alongside the USA and China. Speaking to journalists in April, he spoke of Europe as a “third pole” and said strategic autonomy was essential to prevent European states from becoming vassals.

Scholz, on the other hand, said in Strasbourg that not less, but more openness, more cooperation are the order of the day in order to secure Europe a good place in the world of tomorrow. “A place not above or below other countries and regions. But on an equal footing with others, at their side,” he added.

According to Scholz, in order to achieve this goal, a geopolitical, enlarged, reformed and future-oriented EU is now needed. This includes a much closer integration of defense efforts and the development of an integrated European defense economy, he explained. In addition, the course for the reconstruction of Ukraine must be set now.

Rapid reform of the EU asylum system required

In his speech in Strasburg, Scholz also advocated rapid reform of the EU asylum system and controlled immigration. “Of course, in the end there must be a solution that meets the requirements of European solidarity. But we must not wait until this solidarity comes over us like the Holy Spirit,” said Scholz in the European Parliament. The reform should be wrapped up before the European elections in spring 2024.

“We are united by the goal of better controlling and organizing irregular migration – without betraying our values,” he said. The old problems that have paralyzed the EU for years and that made other countries too easy to divide the community must be got rid of.

Workers are now urgently needed in many parts of Europe. “If we consistently combine such regular migration opportunities with the demand that countries of origin and transit also take back those who have no right to stay here with us, then all sides will benefit,” said Scholz. However, this also included measures for effective protection of the external borders, which the EU countries had already agreed on in February. In this way, acceptance of “managed and controlled immigration” could also grow. “And then we remove the basis from those who make politics with fear and resentment.”