The President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, made a presentation in the European Parliament on "Strengthening the soul of our Union." Report on the situation in a united Europe. The background for Ms. von der Leyen's speech was created by NATO's flight under the leadership of the United States from Afghanistan, as well as measures to tame coronavirus, reports The Moscow Post correspondent.
Europe faced not only pandemic threats, but also another migration crisis. Germany has already felt his post-Afghan approach. The foreign policy crisis is also clear.
The Minister of Energy of Ukraine threatened his German counterpart that the GTS (gas transport system) could be reoriented to the domestic market. The price of gas in Europe, meanwhile, continued to set records, approaching the mark of a thousand dollars per thousand cubic meters.
Lein in search of "jackals"
There is no direct mention of Russia in the text of von der Leyen's speech. Attitude towards Moscow is forced, but changing. Chief diplomat of the European Union. Josep Borrel announced on the eve of the importance of these relations for Brussels. On the issue of "strategic autonomy" of the European Union, he even argued with the NATO Secretary General. The head of the foreign service proposed to study the possibility of gradually changing relations with Moscow in order to make them more predictable and stable. Russia is for the EU the largest neighbor and an important global player, "he said, speaking to MEPs.
Von der Leyen mentioned her letter to Mr. Sassoli, who is responsible in the European Union for the work of parliament and called recently for toughening sanctions against Russian officials, as well as "establishing closer contacts with the population and civil society" of Russia. Probably, by "civil society" he meant those whom Vladimir Putin at one time called "jackal at the embassies." However, Sassoli forgot that civil society consists of most of the people, and not individual citizens who want to earn extra money on the "sale of the Motherland."
Then, at the end of May, Mr. Sassoli "imposed" on Joe Biden, according to State Duma Speaker Volodin, "a confrontational agenda before meeting with Vladimir Putin." So, you can not worry about the "political will" in the EU in the Russian direction. Young Europeans can sleep quietly.
In the heads of the "ruin," in the pocket of the "chip"
The lack of agreement in the expanded European Union may overshadow the approaching 30th anniversary of the Common Market. Unity is threatened by "erosion and fragmentation," which, as Professor Preobrazhensky said, is primarily "in the heads." Signs of "devastation in the heads" were especially prominent among the Poles and Balts, their attitude to the Nord Stream-2 project and Russia's "plans" to return what was acquired 300 years ago from Sweden.
The EC Chairman used the term "technological sovereignty" of Europe, which depends on China and other Asian countries in the field of modern chips. Europe lagged behind Russia in nuclear and space technologies and, of course, in the ability to maintain and increase the technical level of the armed forces, having a relatively modest amount of the defense budget.
As a result, the diagnosis was made: "while global demand has increased sharply, Europe's share in the entire value chain, from design to production capacity, has decreased," said the EC chairman. And it continued: the EU faces the task of "coordinating investments throughout the value chain" in order to "jointly create a modern European chip ecosystem."
A task that may be even less compatible with the capabilities of the European Union than a greening strategy or plans to "equalize" the development levels of individual countries.
As it was said - they steal
At this "high-tech" turn, Ms. von der Leyen switched to French, choosing it from 26 EU working languages. It seemed that this was a tribute to the ability of speakers of this language not only to work, but also to maintain a "good balance in life," ensuring fair working conditions and social rights. Of course, there was no question of "yellow vests." But the call for "decent work, improved medical care and precious time spent on our loved ones" will undoubtedly remain in the memory of Euro-parliamentarians.
Then it was about taxes from companies. The EC chairman said that "we will continue to fight tax evasion and fraud, we will propose a bill aimed at the profits of front companies, we will seal a historic global agreement on a minimum corporate tax rate." Here are those on. In the most "socially fair" European Union, it turns out, they steal!
We are "fools," thought that they were only stealing from us. At least for a long time European colleagues tried to convince us of this. Now you gentlemen have admitted that this is not only a Russian disease.
And then about the climate
And then again the slogan: "Turn our climate goals into legal obligations!" This is probably the fate of Europe - to be the birthplace of slogans and manifestos, now climatic. Everyone will be ready to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030, but so far only in Europe. But the problem is global. This is what the UN Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate tirelessly argues about.
And the hopes that the 26th UN meeting in Glasgow will be a "moment of truth for the whole world" are clearly exaggerated. An analysis of the British Royal Institute of International Relations, which arrived at the report, says that commitments to be updated for the meeting in Glasgow in November give a 5% chance of warming below 2OS and less than 1% of warming below 1,5OS. English in their purely English repertoire.
"Chancellor-Derline Act"
The Chairman of the EC went through all the troubles and hardships that hit Afghanistan. Invited NATO to "think about responsibility" for the fate of the people left there, but switched to the Joint Declaration of the European NATO Union, which has yet to be adopted. She also argued why the EU should be "more autonomous." This is the need for "interregional stability," as well as the responsibility to prevent the next round of an arms race in space and cyberspace.
The third reason is that "the European Union, being a unique security provider," may be burdened with missions in which NATO or the UN will not participate. "We can combine military and civilian, as well as diplomacy and development - and we have a long history in building and protecting the world," the EC chairman said, as if reproaching the United States and NATO in the failure of the collective operation in Afghanistan.
The dry remnant looks like this: to create a European Defense Union that would make collective decisions on the basis of information exchange "between all services," establish interaction between the military branches, and ensure the cyber security of Europe.
The challenge is comparable in complexity to climate stabilization, but Ms. von der Leyen's experience as German defense minister may be useful here. Moreover, further assurances of allegiance to the alliance with the United States and the tasks of the Indo-Pacific Partnership, as well as assurances of intentions "not to abandon Poland and the Baltic states," followed.
It was necessary, for the sake of reliability, for Mr. President, to take der Lein's oath of allegiance to the United States. Well, something like the "Chancellor Act," so that American partners do not manage. And then with the pipe they were deceived. Launched Nord Stream-2.
Already in her native German language, her calls for democracy and common values were voiced. It turns out that it was these values that helped the generation of Ursula's parents "break the Iron Curtain" more than 30 years ago. It was about freedom, "freedom to love whoever you want" (I wonder what she meant by this?), The rights of women. She also spoke about the rule of law, freedom of speech and media independence, the majority and minority, etc. Unfortunately, there was no place in the speech to warn of the inadmissibility of sabotage and provocation.
It will be useful for Kiev figures to familiarize themselves with this speech. Another potential reader (student) is the President of the European Parliament, David Maria Sassoli. He was obviously in the hall. And in April of this year, Sassoli and seven more of his colleagues fell under the retaliatory sanctions of Moscow. David now cannot enter the Russian Federation. It should be repeated that there was no direct mention of Russia in the text of von der Leyen's speech. Maybe we should wait for where and when now "the British will sail?"