| Axis of Irrelevance |
3 February 2003
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Paris-Berlin Axis Around Which Nothing Revolves
As the Bush administration's war wagon loads up and heads out, the French and the Germans seem determined to make fools of themselves. As the two most important core members of the European Union, their reluctance to follow the US into a war with Iraq is understandable, as it diminishes their influence. However, in pretending to speak for Europe as a whole, they have created a Paris-Berlin axis at which most just laugh.
The European Union is, of course, a creature of French and German scheming, an attempt to make both more important than they are, which has succeeded over the last few decades. The French, having lost their military dominance at Waterloo, struggled to find ways to tie down Germany, and Germany, after the Nazis, needed to rehabilitate themselves. The marriage of convenience has worked. The French still have the illusion of being a great power, and the Germans can pursue limited foreign policy objectives under the cover of internationalism.
However, the role of third power, balancing the US and Soviet Union no longer exists. The US, as global hegemon, will do as it chooses, and President Bush has made sure that if you are with the Americans you count, and if your aren't, welcome to the trash heap of history. Tony Blair understands this, Kanzler Schoeder and President Chirac don't.
What really puts the Franco-German position in context is the recent letter of support for Mr. Bush signed by Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Poland. Eight of the 15 members of the EU don't back the Franco-German position. When one pretends to speak for a whole continent, one would think that getting a simple majority is a pre-condition.