Merz versucht, Macron an der Spitze Europas abzulösen
https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-21/merz-tries-to-replace-macron-at-the-helm-of-europe.html
Von Gjrts
Merz versucht, Macron an der Spitze Europas abzulösen
https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-12-21/merz-tries-to-replace-macron-at-the-helm-of-europe.html
Von Gjrts
29 Kommentare
With what nuclear arsenal?
No thank you
Tbh, neither of them is at the helm of Europe….that’s the problem, we have no leadership, just burocrats or Trump’s supporters (Meloni).
Well, if he were to finally concede on the financial union front it would be welcome leadership. As it stands he’s the biggest hold back trying to preserve German financial superiority.
Merkel did enough damage thank you very much.
Send Taurus to Ukraine then.
I see the Franco-German squabbles have continued since we left.
‘The German chancellor, despite being unpopular at home…’ Is von der Leyen popular in Germany? And in Europe?
These comments are the proof European integration will never, ever take place.
Not even on this sub, which is pro-Europe to the point that is almost completely blind to any of the EU’s obvious issues, people are willing to trust a European leader from a country that is not their own.
But sure, we will 100% get the EU military.
Btw Macron has basically no political support at home and is barely at the ‘helm’ of France.
Merz´s problem is that apparently he´s not much of a diplomat. He tries to push through his idea´s, expecting others to just follow. That´s how his plan about the Russian assets utterly failed when faced with The Man with The Cat.
Idea´s alone, even good ones, aren´t enough.
I want someone who is in favour of both nuclear power and renewables at the helm of Europe, not just one of those
To me, this type of discourse highlights a fundamental flaw with the EU: larger countries (such as France and Germany) utilize it as a means to project their own power and alpha dog everyone else in a quasi paternalistic way.
At least has a government
As a European myself, Europeans love to criticize their leaders. And as long as there is democracy in our countries we will most likely keep criticizing our leaders because it is our right and obligation.
Still the majority of EU leaders have a moral compass that they need to balance between their own peoples will and being a part of the EU.
It’s never going to be perfection for any of us but there are upsides as well.
Don’t give attention to such articles which promote division. Please.
This is a complete nonsense peace. The Zelensky/Wittkoff meeting in Berlin didn’t get Ukraine any further to peace. It may have pulled Trump back towards the European side for a moment, but nothing more.
At the summit Brussels, Merz, even though he had joined forces with VDL, failed to achieve what he had been hoping for: the use of Russian funds for Ukraine. The actual outcome is a 95 billion eurobond which Merz had always publicly denounced.
Europe needs to understand that with people like Merz we are doomed. Same goes for Trump appeasers like Rutte and Kallas. We require real leadership now.
No national head of government is „at the helm of Europe“.
Of course the German Chancellor and French President will have influence, it’s normal.
But we need to stop this sensationalizing titles.
Also, Merz with all his flaws took a step back from Germany’s usual position on joint debt for the greater good (funding Ukraine), why is he being criticized for this?!
As a German I only can say: Don’t let this idiot getting more influence…he’s incompetent has a charm like a stone and is equally dumb.
He lost his two big battles (Russian assets and Mercosur) so he’ll keep being at the trying stage.
Yeah no, Europe has no one at the helm and it shows. Most of our politicians have ridiculous approval ratings.
The time of the European heavyweights like Merkel commanding some form of respect in the international stage is long gone.
I don’t consider Macron at the helm of Europe. France has always seen the EU as an extension of France’s political power/reach. In no way can he speak for other EU countries, otherwise he would’ve dealt with the fuckheads in Hungary and Slovakia.
Germany has given up the moral right to lead Europe.
Haven’t they heard there is no helm of Europe? It’s not a kingdom…
That guy that has no vision for his own country and that is completely incapable of decent behaviour? I hope not, because Macron is not a complete fool.
Good. We need Germany as an active leader in the EU.
Tabloid kind of title. Truth is that Europe is standing in the face of dual crisis and as a result the hunger for international and security focused politics is huge.
We’re doomed.
It’s not Merz as a personality but Germany that has the combination of economic clout as Europe’s largest economy that’s also the world’s third largest after only the US and China, and soon, as they rearm, the conventional forces military clout.
Macron talks a good talk but France is swamped by debt and actually has limited land forces that are still optimized for Africa-type operations with no significant expansion in numbers and capabilities in sight. France is also in danger of being taken over by the Russian-allied French far-right, with the current alternative being the pro-Russia far-left.
The AfD is farther away from power and have been, and can be, blocked by Germany’s main parties.
A Tale of Two Shitties