French Humanism or German Pragmatism?
Serhiy Polyovyk
Two events in the international arena (the French President's speech at the annual conference of ambassadors and the German Chancellor's visit to China) attracted the attention of analysts and observers. The leaders of Germany and France have both, given new impetus to geopolitical thinking in the European partner countries and generated a signal for superpowers influencing the formation of world geopolitics — the United States and China.
The French President's worldview on the development of Europe and the world, on keeping of basic European values, even in contrast to the US position, contradicts A. Merkel's pragmatic German approach and her efforts to meet the needs of German business through trade with China, regardless of the consequences of China's expansion for Europe, relations with the USA or further prospects for the EU countries' with smaller geopolitical influence.
The ambiguity and unconventionality of E. Macron and A. Merkel's approaches to achieving state interests and the place and role of their own countries in the future of Europe testifies to their unwillingness to act together for the sake of common interests.
France and Germany, as subjects of geopolitics, intend to resolve their own problems in different ways, ignoring the allied commitments of previous years and pragmatising their own foreign policy. Also evident are the diametrically opposite worldview approaches of the leaders of France and Germany to the future of Europe and further world order.
If we compare the importance of E. Macron's new strategy and the modest for Europe results of A. Merkel's visit to China, we clearly see the French leader's superiority on the pan-European and global geopolitical field. The President of France thinks more broadly and sees further, promoting a unifying idea for Europe, without focusing on material values. The Chancellor of Germany is losing to ambitious E. Macron's new worldview and is trying to keep her own state in a stable position as a European leader by relying on dividends from traditional material values.
