Polly Toynbee: Britain Rediscovers Europe as Macron and Merz Lead a Democratic Reawakening

With Trump looming and war in Europe, Britain finds renewed purpose in unity with France and Germany.

https://www.socialeurope.eu/britain-rediscovers-europe-as-macron-and-merz-lead-a-democratic-reawakening





A glorious spectacle was laid out for President Macron in London last week, full honours, heralds, red carpets, a royal feast at Windsor Castle (1070AD), wreath-laying in Westminster Abbey (1042AD) and, note this, a speech to both Houses of Parliament. Since Britain’s disastrous Brexit, France is the first European country to be honoured with a state visit. This was quite deliberately given precedence, ahead of President Trump’s state visit in September, so controversial it has been cunningly scheduled for three days when parliament is not sitting, avoiding the certainty that some MPs would publicly insult him by walking out.

The symbolism and the contrast between these two events tells the story of the remarkable European changes under way. Two rogue world leaders, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, have woken Europe out of its complacent slumber, shaken awake by the invasion of Ukraine and Trump’s ending of the solidarity of NATO. Alone, Europe must defend itself and unite, if it can, around liberal democratic values it alone is left to represent in the world. That is a heavy moral and financial burden: is Europe up to it? Penurious Britain is among many countries that will struggle to put up 5 percent of GDP for our common defence.

Right-wing parties of various degrees of extremism, some bordering on fascism, are threatening the values at the heart of the EU’s foundation. Slovakia and Hungary have been obstructing the latest sanctions against Russia for the Ukraine invasion, despite EU foreign policy high representative, Kaja Kallas, warning that “Sanctions are necessary to starve Russia of the means to wage this war, and the European Union will keep raising the cost”. Can you have a union when some join the enemy? Britain’s shameful rejection of the European ideal is being hastily forgiven, now that the old central core of Germany, France and the UK needs to regroup.

Creating a Europe united less by geography or trade than by human rights and democratic ideals allows the exciting notion of including Canada or others who choose to share the resistance to dictatorships. But can that be done without expelling those who no longer share those values? A Europe led by Germany’s AfD, France’s National Rally and Britain’s Reform would fall apart. Defending what, against whom, for what purpose? Possibly, Italy’s Georgia Meloni has shown that in power they would shift away from their most extreme positions. But if Europe is now to strap on its expensive armour and summon up its troops, ready for war, its young soldiers will need to know what they are fighting for. There would need to be no fifth columnists undermining the collective endeavour.

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