A functioning global order has yet to emerge – to regulate the financial markets, to combat global warming and for foreign and security policy and energy security. Europe needs to enter into partnerships with other global players and work towards effective global governance with them. And we must also measure ourselves against them – our competitors in terms of economic success, ideas, education systems and models of society. We can only answer these pressing questions if we start pooling our strengths much more and acting together as Europeans.
Westerwelle and Oettinger should have started by asking themselves, what the "pooling of strengths" so far has achieved for Europe:
- A failed and economically disastrous common currency area, which already has cost taxpayers billions of euros, with no end in sight.
- A failed, useless and costly global warming/climate change policy, which is seriously weakening Europe´s competitiveness.
- A failed and costly "green" energy policy, contributing to slow or no growth in Europe.
Instead of admitting the huge failures, Messrs Westerwelle and Oettinger prescribe more of the same!
Westerwelle and Oettinger also are less than honest about the euro crisis (which they, as all other present European leaders, prefer to call "the debt crisis"):
On one hand, they state: "The debt crisis was a massive wake-up call, and its lessons are plain to see: the monetary union needs to be supplemented by a functional, comprehensive economic union".
On the other hand, they say: "Germany is demonstrating an unprecedented level of solidarity with our European neighbours who face pressures due to the debt crisis. Not least among our acts of solidarity is Germany’s contribution to the euro rescue package."
Why first pretend that the euro crisis was "a massive wake-up call", while somewhat later admitting that "our European neighbours" still are facing "pressures due to the debt crisis"?
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