Valdai Club

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, all eyes were on Donald Trump. However, our attention should be focussed on the words of the EU Commission President, who has announced a common legal framework for companies. This Commission’s plan will weaken the Member States because their tax and monetary competences will be undermined; and Europe will become even more dependent on the US financial system, Ulrike Reisner writes.

If the member states continue to (jointly) go into debt to finance the necessary subsidies for the nuclear energy upgrade, this will significantly exacerbate the negative consequences for the national economies. EU-Europe will continue to fall behind in terms of international competitiveness for decades to come. Corporations and the financial industry, on the other hand, will be rubbing their hands: profits will be privatised, while costs will be met by the taxpayer, writes Ulrike Reisner. The first part, the second part and the third part of her analysis of Brussels’ energy policy were published earlier.

A fault line in the EU member states’ foreign policy is becoming increasingly clear, not only with respect to the Ukraine issue but also in the Gaza conflict. It is about the supremacy of the United States and NATO as well as the role of international organisations. In view of the ongoing division of a multipolar world with new “cold” and “hot” wars, it is essential to realign the overall direction of international geopolitics on a joint basis, writes Ulrike Reisner.

Pursued under the concept of the Green Deal, the energy transition has been one of the strongest and most damaging factors influencing the economy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and therefore the economy of Europe. This policy is primarily being pursued by Ursula von der Leyen's European Commission and Olaf Scholz's cabinet. Economic figures are poor, energy prices are a burden on the economy and society alike, and yet important political decisions continue to be subject to the dictates of the energy transition.

Brussels is reinforcing “energy emergency” and prolonging it. What is being sold to the population as an “energy transition” is part of an economic war that is being waged at the expense of Europe’s future, writes Ulrike Reisner. The first part of her analysis is available here.

The European Commission and European Council have been intervening massively in the EU’s energy market for almost two years – without a proper legislative procedure, without involving the European Parliament and disregarding the Member States’ reservations of sovereignty, writes Ulrike Reisner.

The EU countries are not able to compensate for the economic losses caused by the sanctions against the Russian Federation. The process of deindustrialisation in Europe continues. This is resulting in a permanent loss of wealth for Western societies, writes Ulrike Reisner.

From today’s point of view, the result of the general elections, in one way or another, is for the British to withdraw from the EU. Clarity could only be achieved by a new referendum or by a withdrawal of the resignation request before January 31, 2020.

At first glance, the stalemate surrounding Brexit is an expression of a specific domestic political crisis. At second glance, one gets the impression that the EU cannot deal with the withdrawal of Member States. But isn’t this crisis a symptom that our political systems are eroding? Democratic institutions lack the means and possibilities to solve today’s complex problems.

Myths and legends have become part of the digital world. However, unlike in fairy tales, the real world cannot be divided into good and evil. Donald Trump's exchange of blows with four young democrats must therefore be analysed on a meta-level.