An investment agreement with China, supporting the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, independent purchases of vaccines - in recent weeks, information has appeared about Germany's controversial decisions that do not take into account the interests of the Community and transatlantic relations. Politicians and experts who spoke with Polish Press Agency (PAP) voice their alarm: Berlin is playing a dangerous game.
The day before New Year's Eve last year, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, trumpeted their success: the European Union and China reached a political agreement on an investment agreement.
“Today I chaired a meeting of EU-China leaders with the participation of the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of China Xi Jinping. (...) We welcome the political agreement reached on investment negotiations,- Michel wrote on Twitter on 30 December.
Who exactly is pleased with the agreement? Why the negotiations that have been going on since 2013 were concluded so quickly? The head of the Council did not say.
Of course, Chancellor Angela Merkel forced the haste and swift conclusion of the negotiations. The German presidency in the EU Council wanted to boast about its success. However, representatives of many member states in the EP are very critical of this agreement. Its ratification is not absolute. - says Viola von Cramon - MEP of the German Green Party.
Since Brexit, the EU is witnessing a radical shift in the balance of power. While Berlin's once short-sighted or inappropriate decisions could be quite easily vetoed with the United Kingdom's help, now Germany's ability to protect its interests is dramatically increasing. Now, Germany expects the EU members to be increasingly subordinated to their interests. Simultaneously, they are not ready to act with "proportionate solidarity" heavily promoted by them. They are not prepared to significantly increase the EU budget, but only to delegate temporary funds under the EU NexGen fund. And this is mainly in the form of loans.
Germany have taken steps that Washington may find unfriendly. It was a risky thing to conclude an agreement with China when Beijing violates human rights, pursues a very aggressive policy towards Taiwan and Hong Kong, and does not give up its protectionist economic policy. Now is the last moment when the US and the EU, as a united front, can still jointly impose on China certain conditions of international order and cooperation.
But, Berlin moved in precisely the opposite direction. It risked introducing such a dose of mistrust in transatlantic relations that will hiccup the Western community. The agreement will not achieve anything with China, nor will we rebuild ties with the USA.
It is hard to treat what is happening around Nord Stream 2 in any other way than political corruption. I can't believe that with the help of Gazprom's capital, a foundation was established to protect the environment and promote the construction of this unnecessary gas pipeline, which is primarily a lever of Putin's geopolitical influence - says German MEP, commenting on the establishment by Mecklenburg-Pomerania Front. This Gazprom-controlled foundation is expected to protect companies involved in the project against US sanctions.
