RULERS OF THE WORLD
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
The North-Atlantic Pact is the only defensive system to which the majority belongs, that is, 24 in 28 countries of the European Union
‘We are not lords of the world’ – said the chief of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on 9 November this year in Berlin. What a humility, one would like to say. What is more, Juncker declared that he did not want to build the United States of Europe, although he had dreamt about it in his youth. Maybe this resignation has a direct connection with the election of Donald Trump for president of the USA. His emotional pronouncements about the new president diverted from diplomatic standards. For, he maintains that the election of Trump is a danger for the previous relations of the European Union with the United States. The response to it is to be acceleration of building the common European army. This idea was supported by Germany, which increases his chances to realize it. Proper works were begun in the European Parliament. A project of report about the European Defence Union was prepared, which is to be voted in Strasburg. Traditionally, the British oppose to the idea of building the European army. During a debate of a group of European Conservatives and Reformers the euro-deputy Geoffrey Van Orden, in fact, a General, stated that the idea may lead to destruction of NATO. And if it happens so, we must ask ourselves a question whether we really want it. The North-Atlantic Pact is the only defensive system to which the majority belongs, that is, 24 in 28 countries of the European Union. It is happening just at the moment when NATO decided to locate military forces on its eastern wing, including Poland. Are ideas of Juncker and other politicians supporting him useful for Poland? I doubt it. Moreover, building competitive military forces in relation to the United States negates the thesis about aspiration of the Union in order to become ‘the lord of the world’. So, why is it such a cacophony? Answers were given by Juncker, who admitted naively during his pronouncement in Berlin that he was not the author of the words said by himself. He said: ‘I had an excellent speech written. Thanks God, I read it yesterday’. On the following day he gave it as his own.
AA
„Niedziela” 48/2016