Germany’s slap in the face to Macron

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has made it clear that Germany and France have different values. While Macron called for autonomy from the United States in favor of China, Baerbock voiced completely different messages in the German parliament.

China is becoming increasingly repressive internally and aggressive externally. She called parts of her recent trip to China "more than shocking." Beijing was increasingly becoming a systemic rival rather than a trading partner and competitor.

China is Germany's largest trading partner, but this does not mean that Beijing is the most important trading partner. China seeks to follow its own rules, ignoring the international order.

Baerbock criticized Merkel's "pro-Putin concept" that hoped to influence authoritarian regimes by building up trade relations: "The government ... does not want to repeat past mistakes."

"Baerbock criticized Merkel's "pro-Putin concept" that hoped to influence authoritarian regimes by building up trade relations: "The government... does not want to repeat past mistakes"

Macron is mimicking Beijing. The Germans are showing the US that they are not ready to support him. 

Macron has indeed said a lot of stupid things after Beijing: he spoke of the need for the EU's strategic autonomy from the US; Europe should become the "third pole," avoiding the "trap of other people's crises" (referring to the tensions between the US and China over Taiwan). The French president is trying to pull on the strategy of "influence through trade" that Merkel and his predecessors have so "successfully" implemented in their relations with Putin's Muscovy. Now he will repeat this experience in China.

The "macronopathology" of the Elysee Palace surprised the American political elite. For example, Republican Senator Marco Rubio: Macron's interview is worrisome... If our allies’ position is, in fact, Macron speaks for all of Europe, and their position now is they are not going to pick sides between the UٍS and China over Taiwan, maybe we shouldn’t be picking sides either. Maybe we should basically say we’re going to focus on Taiwan and the threats that China poses, and you guys handle Ukraine."

“Baerbock's speech in parliament is a declaration of Berlin's commitment to the traditional values of the democratic world, and a rejection of "macronopathology"

Baerbock's speech in the parliament is a declaration of Berlin's commitment to the traditional values of the democratic world, and a rejection of "macronopathology."

I wouldn't say that all of France is distancing itself from the EU and the US. Rather, it is Macron personally who is distancing himself from European values in favor of the temporary political situation within the country. A politician who has not yet decided on his moral guidelines is not able to support the moral values of the nation.

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About the author. Orest Sokhar, journalist, editor-in-chief of Obozrevatel.

The editorial staff does not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.