<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/12/friedrich-merz-europe-leaders-standing-up-to-trump>
"Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Donald Trump last month reflected more than a
moment of personal candour or a split between Berlin and the White House. It
pointed to a broader shift under way among European leaders. Increasingly they
are willing to publicly confront the Trump administration on issues ranging
from Iran to Ukraine and European sovereignty.
The Trump administration’s ever-more erratic policies and the belief that they
necessitate a more forceful response partly explains this shift.
The German chancellor directed his remarks at the war on Iran. He did not
believe, he told an event at a school in his constituency, that Trump had a
viable exit strategy. Moreover, Tehran’s clever diplomacy had “humiliated” the
US. But Merz’s comments do not exist in isolation – they followed a series of
tough interventions from European leaders including Emmanuel Macron, Keir
Starmer and even Giorgia Meloni.
The US’s attempt to acquire Greenland earlier this year crossed clear European
red lines regarding the territorial integrity of a Nato ally and the right to
self-determination of the Greenlandic people. So did attempts by Trump and his
vice-president, JD Vance, to influence Hungary’s election in favour of Viktor
Orbán.
Yet none of these crises alone explain Europe’s harder stance. More important
is the growing and justified belief inside European capitals that Washington
holds less leverage over the continent than it did a year ago."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
