I believe that things fundamentally change every generation-every 25 to 30 years. How do you think that period will be remembered in European history? You served as Secretary General across a 13-year period. It’s true that defensive aid has sometimes taken longer than necessary, but that's partly because of our historical experience, which makes it more difficult for Germans to engage militarily. When you look at support figures for Ukraine, the United States is number one, the European Union institutions are number two, Britain is number three, and Germany is number four. I think that Germany has done more than it's been given credit for. How would you evaluate the new government’s performance so far? The full-scale invasion of Ukraine occurred only a few months after a new German government came into power. I'm confident the new German government will develop fruitful cooperation with France. The two countries have a historical obligation to come together and overcome their differences. If Germany and France can agree, then a large part of the continent is not far from compromise. The German-Franco relationship is important not because Germany and France are similar, but because they're so different. Do you believe relations between the EU’s largest powers are in a good place? We also must exchange energy more easily between different member states, so it's very good that the long-standing conflict between Spain and France about the energy grid has been given up.įrench leaders have called for a “reset” in Franco-German relations. There’s a push for speedy enlargement of renewable energy and a pursuit of new contracts on liquefied natural gas with the United States, Norway, and Algeria. Nobody's interested in becoming permanently dependent on Russian goods. While individuals may change their views, European governments will not change their positions because of energy problems. Are you concerned this will reduce support for Ukraine among the European public? Russian energy embargoes may lead to a fuel price shock this winter. Therefore, I think it’s understood that there must be more investment in defense, and that the European Union must play a major role in that effort. That puts the European security order as established after 1991 into question. It's now understood that there is still a threat Russia has attacked a sovereign country and threatened EU member states, calling for a return to 1997, before NATO and EU enlargement. That process of reduction has probably gone too far. It's logical that when the USSR and the Warsaw Pact disappeared, Europeans hoped to reduce force posture. Klaus Welle: Until 1991, Europe was threatened by invasion from the Soviet Union. Did Europe neglect defense when the need was already clear? But even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe had seen recent crises in the Western Balkans, the Donbas, and nearby Syria. The Fletcher School: You spoke today about Europe’s renewed commitment to defense. Welle spoke with us after the lecture to share his perspective on European security challenges and reflect on his 13 years leading a vital E.U. Welle delivered a Charles Francis Adams lecture on the Ukraine war, describing its impact on the E.U. On October 31 st, Fletcher hosted Klaus Welle, Secretary General of the European Parliament.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |