In what was her last speech before the lower house of the German Parliament (Bundestag), Chancellor Angela Merkel called on all European leaders to confront the interference and threat posed by Russia and China across the continent.
With frequent calls for unity, the outgoing leader of the largest economy in the Old Continent advocated a joint effort to counter Russian and Chinese activity against European interests, which has worsened in recent years and has strengthened extreme positions in several nations. .
In his vision, the European Union has not had a good strategy to confront Moscow.
“The events of recent months have clearly shown that it is not enough if we react to the multitude of Russian provocations in an uncoordinated way,” he said. “We must learn to counter Russia’s hybrid attacks.”
Merkel added that US President Jose Biden’s recent rapprochement with Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin is a path that Europeans should replicate.
“The European Union should also seek direct contact with Russia,” he said. “It is not enough for President Joe Biden to talk to the Russian President, which I applaud, but the European Union must find ways to engage in talks, there is no other way to resolve conflicts.”
Merkel’s parliamentary speech came hours before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels, in which Russia is on the agenda.
Regarding China, the foreign minister said that Europe should be an alternative to Beijing for the rest of the world, referring to the growing influence that the Asian nation has had, especially in developing countries. There, he added, European values, such as democracy and respect for freedoms, must play an essential role.
Turkey, another issue to watch out for
Regarding threats to human rights, Merkel also mentioned Turkey, which under Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a turn towards authoritarianism, according to various civil and international organizations. However, despite the deep differences between the European Union and Turkey, he asked to keep communications open, especially regarding migratory flows.
Germany is, in fact, the largest recipient of Turkish migrants from the European Union and almost 4% of its population is of Turkish descent.
This latest legislative speech by Merkel comes after more than 16 years in power, in which she played a predominant role at the head of the European Union. The chancellor plans to leave office after the elections on September 26, in which her party, the Christian Democratic Union, is shaping up to retain power.
