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03/28/2019

Union – European or American?

Union – European or American?

Why is the European Parliament election so important? This institution presides over extremely significant matters. For example: “defending European democracies from foreign entities disseminating misleading information or manipulating personal data of voters.” The EP represents millions of Europeans on numerous crucial issues of this magnitude.

Questions Without Answers

During a March session of the Parliament “MEPs voted on a resolution that summarizes the recent EU efforts to counter hostile propaganda from foreign entities and promoting new technologies to deal with propaganda and counterfeit accounts on social media. The resolution also strongly condemns the increasingly aggressive attempts of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, aimed at undermining the “normative basis and principles of European democracy and the sovereignty of all Eastern Partnership states”, which affect political choices and support extremist movements. However, let’s not be fooled… Pretending to be idiots is a well-known method of particularly clever crooks. These politicians cannot be left to their own devices, even in the pathetic circus that the European Parliament has become.

The 8th EP administration has been dominated by idle, bluntly ideological and propagandistic declarations, which allow MEPs to merely pass the time and give them an alibi for not taking on more important issues such as:

  • the systemic demographic and immigration crisis
  • Disparate growth-rates among EU nations
  • the inability to agree on a common position regarding energy policy, security, financial policy or other matters of integration.
  • improving relations toward Russia, China and Iran

We have therefore come to a point where it is not clear what the European Union is, and what direction it should be going in.

In the first level, this is the result of the Brussels elites alienating the majority of Europeans, a situation which has been brought to the point of absurdity. Secondly, the growing pressure of the United States on its so-called allies has led the Union to existential questions. Together, these factors have created an irresolvable contradiction.

The past few decades have taught us that the European political class is absolutely obedient to America. At the same time, however, the self-interest of this class is increasingly in conflict with American expectations and demands. This systemic loop, in conjunction with emotions pulsating within the otherwise schematic and superficial European structures – must find a solution or way to vent, including in arguments in the EP.

The American Trojan Horse

The institution itself has already published polls forecasting the election results expected in May. The expectations are largely the result of the Eurocrats’ hopes and Americans demands, not to mention their direct interference. It is obvious that the factions poised to constitute the next European Parliament will significantly differ from the present ones, and what’s more, even the Eurocrats’ estimates indicate that the combination of today’s factions: Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (among others UKIP and Luigi Di Maio’s Five Stars Movement) and Europe of Nations and Freedom (Marine Le Pen), even without the British Eurosceptics, will have the third largest parliamentary group ahead of the liberals. And if MEPs currently wasting their time as “Reformers and Conservatives” also decide to cooperate (like Giorgia Melonis Fratelli d’Italia) – then the populist factions may even beat-out the Social-Democrats. This is not to make the case that the European Union’s critics need to develop an effective voice in the EP. It is enough to look at how Euro-realistic MEPs are dispersed to understand that their integration is unlikely, despite that they don’t fundamentally differ in their views on the Euro-bureaucracy. This could mean completing the process of European cooperation and integration initiated by the Treaty of Rome,  but interrupted by subsequent arrangements finalized in Maastricht, Copenhagen and Lisbon, when the EU started off in the direction of a bureaucratic crypto-state. And yet, it is not all about the European Union being … European. The European Union only has the option of following Brussel’s bureaucracy – or the American’s.

We can already see the first symptoms of new divisions and rearrangements which can serve only two purposes: to keep everything stay the same, passive and ineffective, and to give the United States an effective Fifth Column in European structures. The supporters of Euro-Atlantic dependence must now regroup, primarily as a result of the United Kingdom being occupied with other tasks. In the most embarrassing style possible, as part of the infinitely pathetic and hypocritical BREXIT process – the land based American aircraft carrier “USS Britannia” is departing from the Continent. However, the landing troops, consisting of political GIs, alumnus of Euro-Atlantic grants and programs – are still active.

The paradox is that this new American power is expected to growth from the same circles, which have to the present been labeled as Russian agents, and have been accused of intending to completely disintegrate the EU. In fact, such formations as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, Alternative for Germany, or the Italian La Lega are in favour of reforming their Communities, and, apart from softly accenting their own national interests, they are linked by the memory of shared European values, at least referring to the historical civilization and continuity of the continent, and its geopolitical unity, which is far deeper than any past or present military blocs.

At the same time, however, especially the leading force unifying the new Eurosceptics, La Lega and its leader, Matteo Salvini – are seemingly undergoing accelerated evolution in accordance with the principle that one must choose their battles. The Italian Deputy Prime Minister has moved the Brussels establishment to the top of his list of enemies, continuing a policy of confronting them, primarily on the topic of immigration. At the same time, however, Salvini slowed down other efforts of striving for independence – Italian and European alike.

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The League leader’s unexpected attacks against “Chinese colonization“, referring to the participation of Chinese companies in the implementation of 5G technology and The Belt and Road Initiative (which actually coincides with the position of groups like Forza Italia). As part of the coalition ruling Italy, Salvini was also a supporter of another pro-American gesture, on even more important platform – namely recognition of the Washington nominated “President of Venezuela“, Juan Guaidó – and only the resistance of Di Maio’s Five Stars led to a stalemate, which led Italy to neither recognize the American appointee nor the country’s  legal president, Nicolas Maduro.

Before the Italian elections in March 2018, it seemed that rather freshly civilized, suited Five Stars leaders had been the ones withdrawing from previous NATO-sceptical declarations and protests against the presence of the US Army in Italy. This shows how long American influence been active on a part of the European political scene, despite their claims to independence.

This effect is only further intensified by the fact that the extremely pro-American forces, previously characterized themselves as “Europeans of real values” have also been moved to similar positions. It is no coincidence that the potential allies of La Lega would be the obsequious servants of Washington from the Polish Law and Justice party as the Neocons from the Spanish VOX. However, Poles, due to their expected representation in the EP – they are only supposed to provide for the masses and (as usual) do the Americans’ dirty work. The more important role will go to the far more clever and more flexible Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orban and FIDESZ. There arguments with Brussels have just manage to provoke a suspension of the party from the European People’s Party bloc, which opens the way to organizing a new large-scale Pan-European anti-Brussels block, with the significant presence of Donald Trump looming in the background. Steve Bannon’s mission from last year seems to have borne fruit.

False Ally

However, there are also forces more willing to gain from the European awakening and the surrounding excitement. Di Maio’s “pure populists“, supported by smaller movements from Poland (KUKIZ’15), Croatia (Zivi Zid), Greece (AKKEL), Finland (Liike Nyt), as well as Yanis Varoufakis’ DiEM25/The European Spring are interesting but lacking in initial impetus. This movement, impressive if only due to the names of its patrons (Julian Assange, Noam Chomsky, James K. Galbraith) positions itself outside the corporate and political establishment of the EU, but at the same time as a fundamentally European formula, intentionally more bottom-up and authentic than the current European Commission.

And here we come to the paradox which will likely play  a pivotal role in the future of the Continent.If there is still a degree of identity and vitality in Europe, it is retained within National, Identitarian movements, hesitant about the current shape of the EU, but, consequently, often serving to undermine European integration. At the same time, a divided Europe is condemned to being managed by Eurocrats, obstinately trying to produce a “New European Nation” based on uprooted immigrants, imprinted by nihilism and the liberalism of the declining West. Today, the Western World had become little more than an echo of the geopolitical and ideological outlook of Washington

The European Commission cannot generate the strength identity necessary to produce an alternative to Americanism, not only because of their financial and social dependence from USA and the direct infiltration of Washington. Again, the terms of the discourse in contemporary geopolitics has been almost entirely set by America. Opposition-national movements seem to be immune to some extent from this influence, although, in their efforts to destroy the establishment, they are becoming more and more attacked and corned by political correctness (which is particularly evident in the French example). Above all, however, the threat to a “real Europe” is the US.

The circle closes, and as of yet no faction can gain the advantage in the European paralysis, and so the benefits are drawn by the American bloc, whether in its liberal-financial or military force form..

The Third Europe

Unfortunately, there is no Third Europe to be seen on the horizon, coming as true alternative to both versions we know like two sides of the same coin – Brussel/bureaucratic EU and Euro-Atlantic construct in American way. There is no force or idea strong enough to combine the defense reflexes of continental nations with an understanding of their common civilizational goal, perhaps the last such goal in the face of a globalizing world. The fight for a Europe without Eurocrats that is also not American. A Europe that is not susceptible to the manipulation of the military-industrial sector… it seems to be both closer, and further away than ever. On the one hand, you can see the symptoms of change, on the other hand, they already appear to be contaminated with old germs. However, while it is obvious that in its current form the Old Continent is doomed to extinction, even a partial change may turn out to be the beginning of real renewal. A renewal empowered with the understanding that the European peninsula does not have to be an American colony, nor an unsuccessful ideological-ethnological experiment in the service of globalism, nor just a museum to glory long past. The Third Europe must remember what it means to be a free, not only returning to the sources of civilization and identity, but also asking new questions about its role, tasks and possibilities for the future.

Konrad Rękas
Political expert, geopolitical analyst (Poland)

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