Fair enough: Europe is looking for a new leader. Macron's role will be hard to be taken over by representatives of the European Union
In the context of geopolitical events, Europe will need a new leader. At least such as Emmanuel Macron is currently. However, the political waters in France are now turbulent and it is unclear whether they can give birth to a similarly strong politician. It currently seems that the French are beginning to get tired of Macron's strong hand and he may be replaced by someone who will not express himself as much outwardly and will try to solve domestic problems more. However, a new contender is now claiming his word, the as yet unelected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Nothing lasts forever, but the current world events after Trump's revolution truly bring many challenges. The blonde businessman will be in power "only" for four years, but if Americans liked his return to the past, his even more conservative successors are already emerging.
One such contender has just introduced himself in nearby Munich. Vice President JD Vance, in the secrecy of tough rhetoric, has actually stated that the USA is resigning from its global position, which it gained by winning the Cold War. They're going back about a hundred years, to the time of the so-called concert of powers. Its melody played for the first time after the defeat of Napoleon, when the victors began to parcel out Europe according to the power ambitions, the smaller states had to submit to them.
Europe's helm is not steered by the European Union
However, the USA managed to overcome this principle and build a unipolar world, where the American hegemon has the final say and no one talks to him on an equal footing. In return, he does not command anything, he just offers his goods for sale. For that purpose, he also maintained a vassal organization called NATO. Of course, this cost the Americans something. However, Vance said that the Americans will no longer play solo at the concert. Then he laughed at the false tones from the violins of the European countries.
However, he forgot to say that with this approach he mainly tuned the instrument to the Russians and the Chinese, because the Europeans, after the experience of two world wars and one cold conflict, founded the European Union to avoid winning in a major power concert. Their yard was filled with melodies of mass graves and totalitarian persecution. American farms were spared such scenes from the front row.
The European Union is an association where similar concerts were strictly prohibited and it seemed for a long time that even the Americans did not want the Germans or the French to get rolling again, as they could indiscriminately drag them into their wars. Today's criticism of European military weakness overlooks the fact that this was a desirable state for many decades. Particularly in relation to Germany, which gave the world Nazism.
Currently, it seems that this premise has bit the dust. Even the Germans themselves, led by Friedrich Merz, are now speaking up. Although he does not hold any executive position, it is assumed that after the weekend elections he will be the candidate for chancellor and will soon be appointed as such.
He could thus replace Emmanuel Macron at the helm. The French president is rightfully accused of arrogance, but he is currently the number one politician in Europe. After Brexit, the Brits stand somewhat alone, and the Germans, after the prominent Merkel, have put the indecisive Scholz at the top. Macron is thus the only one Trump calls, at one point he even had ambitions to calm Putin, which he did not manage at the long table (see the headline photo).
Czech politicians are doing everything they can to avoid sitting at key negotiations
Macron is enjoying a prominent role in foreign policy, but there are only two years left till the end of his term, and in the current turbulent domestic political situation, it is not clear who the French will send to the Elysee Palace in the next elections. The assertive Merz is probably aware of all this and is preparing to bring a fresh breeze to the political scene.
Some might find it strange that politicians outside the structures of the European Union play the lead in Europe. However, looking at the example of Czech politicians across political parties, we can see that there is not a great willingness for deeper integration here. The European Commission with von der Leyen may have a decisive say in the planning of Union legislation, but in geopolitical matters, they do not make any decisions, and therefore no one talks to them. That's how the states have set it up.
Analogously, Czechs cannot be surprised that they were not invited to Macron's meeting regarding European cooperation on negotiations about Ukraine. Czechs are turning a blind eye to the Euro, migration issues, energy policy, or ecological transformation. Whoever withdraws from the European community cannot be surprised that they don’t sit at the table. Moreover, the current government intends to finalize the nuclear tender for South Korea, thus not helping the nuclear alliance with France, for which Macron recently campaigned in the Czech Republic. The previous government did want to seal the tender according to Zeman's notes for Russia, but more could be reaped from it.
Czechs, moreover, do not take up much space on the European map. Politicians across parties should therefore slowly think about how to curry favor with the new informal European leader. A hint might be that he is evidently bothered by the migration problem and the situation at the borders with his neighbors. Previous experience suggests that the future Czech leader will also be making a self-centered long nose at him in his distress. Macron did not get his nuclear tender and left the small country outside the negotiating table. We will most likely be listening to the melodies that will be played at the table of big politics again from behind closed doors.
Sources: author's text, commentary, x.com, irozhas.cz
