Europe is selling its soul to Trump

www.ft.com

Client Challenge

https://archive.is/eDRgg

19 comments

Selling? They handed their souls and asses for free.
- Even worse, Europe is paying for the priviledge
"Europe is selling its soul" would imply that we are getting something in exchange for our soul, which is... debatable at best.
Truth is... we (well, the politicians we voted for) are just generally spineless and much more eager to play against one another that to team up against a common enemy.
- (well, the politicians we voted for)
  Don't forget the politician we didn't vote for though: Ursula von der Leyen. Her selection process was undemocratic as hell and she's one of the main people responsible for the so-called deal we got.
  
  Her selection process was undemocratic as hell
  Can you explain more/point me somewhere where I can read more about this?
  
  Von der Leyen isn't the problem here. Also, implying that she may be apponted undemocratically because we didn't elect her directly is naive at best and outright dishonest at worst... if you go by that rule you'll find loads of "undemocratic" positions (including, eg. for Italy, the head of state, the prime minister and all other ministers, the heads of the two branches of the parliament, etc..)
  Anyway, the problem is that EU countries keep trying to one-up each other: it's divide et impera, but, since we are already divided, foreign powers can leisurely skip to the "impera" part (TBH Putin has been quite effective on the "divide" part too).
Everyone who remembers TTIP knows: It's not the first time that European leaders are attempting to use trade deals to forego the democratic process in their countries/the EU.
Its not an opinion, its a fact
The tariffs were most likely negotiated in backroom deals long before they were announced in January. There was nothing to do for von der Leyen but to pretend to negotiate.
This doesn't make it better but the problem is not von der Leyen's incompetence but the entirely intransparent political process with which we are governed.
- I mean vdL's incompetence is definitely a problem. So is her corruption. It's fraying the unity of the EU.
  
  Absolutely. But if she is just a mouthpiece then things don't change if she is replaced. Do we reliably know whose idea the tariffs are? Supposedly one of Trump's advisers believes in them. But can a single man change the economics of the entire world with nobody fighting back?

19 comments