Biden presidency exposes previous French-German rift on defense
The German defense minister's warning against the "illusions" of pursuing European defense autonomy rattled French President Emmanuel Macron so many that her comments became a topic of discussion at a cabinet meeting this month in Paris."We found it regrettable, but we noted it was only an isolated situation rather than (Chancellor Angela) Merkel's range," an official present in the room at the Elysee palace informed Reuters, putting a good brave deal with on the divergence of views.
In a robustly Atlanticist column published by Politico on Nov. 2, on the eve of the U.S. presidential election, Germany's Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer stated Europe would remain dependent on Washington because of its defence for years to come. Macron, a champion of European "strategic autonomy", said he was "in entire disagreement" with the German minister, arguing that America would only value a Europe that was more self-reliant in security. The episode is definitely illustrative of how some deep-seated dissimilarities between the European Union's two most effective nations are bubbling to the surface now that the times of U.S.
President Donald Trump's isolationist guidelines which helped Macron promote his agenda are actually numbered. Although Joe Biden's election victory may mean warmer, stabler transatlantic relations, persons close to Macron say Trump's "America First' approach and open public bullying of Germany for certainly not spending more on security had helped the French head press his perspective of European strategic autonomy. Merkel has said Europe should do more to ensure its own security, including with an increase of NATO contributions, and features cautioned against euphoria over an impending Biden presidency. "
Merkel may be the last one who thinks that with Biden everything will be fine again in transatlantic relations," the source close to her said.So if both countries wish to strengthen European defense and at the same time work with Washington, most analysts ask what motivated Kramp-Karrenbauer to speak away so strongly."It is possible that some particularly Atlanticist voices in Berlin suspect Macron of secretly attempting to weaken NATO," Ulrike Franke of the ECFR think-tank wrote in Le Grand Continent.
