EU: Making plans for a new world order - by Heiko Maas

Europe's relationship with the US was changing even before Donald Trump and his provocative Tweets came along. Germany now sees the current trans-Atlantic antipathy as a historic opportunity to redefine the EU's role, writes Germany's foreign minister.

If we go it alone, we will fail in this task. The outstanding aim of our foreign policy is to build a sovereign, strong Europe. Only by joining forces with France and other European nations can a balance with the US be achieved. The European Union must become a cornerstone of the international order, a partner for all those who are committed to it. She is predestined for this, because compromise and balance lie in her DNA.

“Europe United” means this: We act with sovereignty at those points where nation-states alone cannot muster the level of power a united Europe can. We are not circling the wagons and keeping the rest of the world out. We are not demanding allegiance. Europe is building on the rule of law, respect for the weaker, and our experiences that show that international cooperation is not a zero-sum game.

A balanced partnership means that we Europeans take an equal share of the responsibility. Nowhere is the trans-Atlantic link more indispensable to us than in terms of security. Whether as a partner in NATO, or in the fight against terrorism, we need the US. We must draw the right conclusions from this.

It is in our own interest to strengthen the European part of the North Atlantic Alliance. Not because Donald Trump is always setting new percentage targets, but because we can no longer rely on Washington to the same extent. But the dialectic of the trans-Atlantic also means this: If we take on more responsibility, then Americans and Europeans can continue to rely on each other in the future.

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Germany: Erdogan to campaign in Germany- but should he be allowed to do so? - by Beata Stur

Erdogan takes his political campaign into the EU

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will reportedly visit Germany next month to hold a campaign rally on his controversial constitutional reform plan.

As reported by Handelsblatt Global online, Erdogan will visit western Germany after an official visit in Strasbourg.

There are 1.4 million Turkish voters residing in Germany. Many of them live in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, home to the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf as well as the industrial Ruhr region.

But German politicians have reacted to the reports of Erdogan’s visit. For instance, the government’s integration commissioner, Aydan Özoguz, said that “everyone should campaign solely in their own country”. She told regional daily Ruhr Nachrichten that such events are toxic in Germany and harm peaceful coexistence.

Sven Lehmann, the chairman of North Rhine-Westphalia’s chapter of the Green party, which governs the state in a coalition with the Social Democrats, accused Erdogan of polarising Turkey and undermining fundamental rights in his country. “The federal government should make it clear that no anti-democratic events are to be held here,” Lehmann said.

According to Handelsblatt Global online, Turkish voters will decide on April 16 on a constitutional reform pushed by Erdogan’s party, the AKP, making Turkey a presidential republic with greatly increased powers for the president.

Last week, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, addressed 10,000 supporters gathered in an arena in Oberhausen, a city in the Ruhr region. He said that if they love their country, they have to vote yes.

Erdogan or any foreign dignitary for that matter, should not be allowed to campaign in EU member States for political causes which are foreign in origin. In this particular case for a Turkish referendum on giving Erdogan additional  dictatorial powers. 

It is also important that immigrants, who have chosen, for economic reasons, to live and work in a country other than that of their origin,  should not get involved in politics of their country of origin. 

If they still have a desire to do so, they should return to their country of origin and live there. 

As the saying goes "you can't have your cake and eat it also" and that also goes for Mr. Erdogan and his followers who live abroad.

EU-Digest

Opinion: Europe’s moving ahead. Is Britain part of it or not? - by Giles Goodall

In his annual State of the Union address on Wednesday, European Commission President Barroso issued a clarion call for a ‘federation of nation states’ to take on the challenges facing Europe. The only way forward is more unity and more European integration, said Barroso. But this must be accompanied by more democracy – placing the European Parliament in a central role – and subsidiarity – concentrating EU action on the real issues that need to be dealt with at European level.

There is much for Liberal Democrats to welcome in the speech. The emphasis on the European Parliament, national parliaments and taking a critical look at what should be done at EU level chimes very much with Lib Dem values. These are ideas that have been pushed by Nick Clegg since he was an MEP. A federation does not mean a superstate, and pooling sovereignty is about regaining control, not losing it.

The Commission wants to complete the Single Market, the EU’s economic ‘goldmine’, still dogged by too much protectionism and red tape. It plans to boost renewable energy and investment in green growth, another top Lib Dem priority. Barroso’s prescription for national economic reforms could have been taken from the UK’s Coalition agreement: modernise government, reduce wasteful expenditure, tackle vested interests and make life easier for businesses.

But the overriding move towards a banking union as a step towards fiscal and finally political union means the UK will soon be presented with a stark choice: do we want to shape the future or forever be running to catch up with it? As Barroso said, “no-one will be forced to come along and no-one will be forced to stay out, but the speed will not be dictated by the slowest.”

Note EU-Digest: this is very positive thinking, but these nationalistic, inward looking people and politicians are not  only to be found in Britain but also all over Europe and just about everywhere else around the world. They are a very destructive force who have blinders on, in addition to not being able to look further than their nose.

Read more: Opinion: Europe’s moving ahead. Are we part of it or not?