Europe needs America by its side more than ever
In a world that has become more unsettled, it is increasingly important that the United States and Europe make efforts to solve problems together.
By Martin Schulz (Perspective)
Published: Mon 3 Jul 2017, 8:46 PM
Last updated: Mon 3 Jul 2017, 10:59 PM
In the preamble to their constitution, the American people pledge to "promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." This compelling, powerful statement has made the United States a world champion of liberty and democracy - a commitment for which all who value and honour the common heritage of freedom are grateful.
It is precisely these values on which the trans-Atlantic partnership was founded. It is not simply a community of interests, but a lasting friendship between democrats and democracies. Although not free of conflicts and by no means perfect, it is a friendship shaped and sustained by the principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and a belief in the market economy. We shall never forget that many Americans sacrificed their lives for democracy and freedom in Europe.
However, great that legacy may be, sadly, one cannot deny it is in danger of suffering serious damage. The world is undergoing seismic change with barely conceivable consequences. The rules-based international order largely established by the United States and Europe after World War II is no longer automatically accepted by all states. The international system of trade, which for decades has been characterised by the opening up and interaction of markets, is being challenged by a model of barriers and isolationism. A new type of nationalism and authoritarianism is questioning the achievements of freedom and democracy.
This authoritarianism is an external challenge to the Western value-based alliance. Neither Russia nor China has any interest in the joint sustained strength and success of democracies in Europe and the United States. However, our values are also threatened from within. Right-wing and populist parties and movements have gained significant ground in some European countries. Their smear campaigns are poisoning democratic culture and cohesion in Europe.
With Donald Trump, Americans have elected a president who hardly displays a deep respect for those values and traditions that made the United States and the trans-Atlantic partnership what they are. A president who wants to build walls around the nation of freedom, of immigrants, that the United States has always been. A president who wants to partition off the world's largest economy and enforce protectionism, who denies climate change and withdraws from the Paris climate agreement - probably the most significant agreement in the first years of the 21st century. A president who seemingly finds it more important to send a quick tweet than to rely on journalistic and scientific accuracy.
This president is putting the trans-Atlantic partnership to an unprecedented test. "Business as usual" is no adequate response to this challenge, to which Europe can give only one sensible answer: We must strive to achieve greater European cohesion and solidarity. In terms of German and European politics that means we must do everything in our power to strengthen the partnership. The United States and Europe have a deep political, cultural, economic and personal alliance that is greater than any individual leader of a single country. In a world that has become more unsettled, it is increasingly important that the United States and Europe make efforts to solve problems together. However difficult cooperation may become, our partnership will continue to reach out to the president of the United States.
Second, the fact is confrontations will mount. We should not shy away from them as long as they can be settled by argument and with mutual respect. If elected as German chancellor, I would, for example, oppose the American president's demands for enormous arms increases in Germany and Europe. If Germany actually does increase military spending to 2 per cent of its economic output, by the mid-2020s it would have the largest army in Europe. Surely nobody wants this. All the same, we Europeans must face the critical question of whether we already bear enough international responsibility. Instead of engaging in unbridled rearmament we should combat the causes of conflicts, as well as invest in better equipment and strive for more efficiency in military cooperation within both Europe and Nato.
Third, Europe overall must become more effective and independent in its policies. To achieve this, it needs to reform from within, invest more in growth and jobs, engage in an ambitious European climate policy and strengthen common foreign and trade policies geared toward transparent, open markets and progressive standards. Europe, thus strengthened, can and should be a self-confident partner of the United States.
Finally, American society is richer and more diverse than the politics of its current government. The mayors, governors, intellectuals and scientists, entrepreneurs, the active elements of civil society, artists and all who constitute progressive America must continue to be our partner - more than ever. We should initiate joint projects to support climate protection, diversity and tolerance, trade, political cooperation and social exchange.
What we need now is an alliance of the progressive and benevolent sections of society to shoulder our responsibility for the great legacy of the trans-Atlantic partnership and our common interest in cooperation in a global world. It will not always be easy, but our friendship is worth the effort. -NYT Syndicate
Martin Schulz, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, is a candidate for chancellor.
iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
