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- In other words, Merkel is supporting the idea that the collective economic might of the European Union should be leveraged by the entire bloc in order to give targeted help to the countries (like Spain and Italy) that have been hardest hit. In return, Merkel envisions a European Union that is more aligned politically and economically with Germany’s interests. Countries that want to receive European Commission grant money must align their policies with priorities set down by Brussels (or perhaps more precisely, by Paris and Berlin). The cost of equal-burden sharing is the pursuit of common goals and the implementation of common policies. Merkel has finally arrived at the place Macron has been pushing her since May 2017.
I can't remember who it was that pointed out that the EU was basically just a way to enshrine the position as Germany's economic leader in Europe but they're saying the quiet part out loud now.
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ButterflyEffect · 1834 days ago · link ·
I’ve seen this kind of sentiment a few times now about Germany. How does France actually play into all of this?
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It's been pointed out that Macron is basically a classical neoliberal Republican if you think about his politics in American terms. The Euro-Franc currency peg can't be undone but if you can unwind the social safety net (like he's been doing) you can get closer to classical business class profit margins.