When Joschka Fischer was presented with Colin Powell’s “evidence” of WMDs in Iraq to make the case for a preemptive war his response was: “I am not convinced.”
Now Fischer is trying to convince the world that Germany deserves a permanent seat on the UN Sercurity Council. Germany and Japan had been denied permanent representation following WWII. Fischer’s argument is that Germany is now the world’s third largest economy and Germany is one of the largest financial contributors to the world organization. Germany is being joined by Japan, Brazil and India in a bid to reform the Security Council. Surprisingly, Fischer was attacked by CDU foreign secretary Wolfgang Schäuble of advocating a “left-wing nationalism.” Fischer has denied this emphatically:
Er verteidigte das deutsche Interesse an einem ständigen Sitz im Weltsicherheitsrat. Es habe nichts mit nationaler Selbstbespiegelung zu tun: “Es geht hier nicht um nationale Ambitionen.” Deutschland wolle keine “Großmacht” sein, betonte Fischer. “Aber wir sind leistungsfähig.” Deutschland sei der drittgrößte Beitragszahler der Uno, die größte Volkswirtschaft Europas nach Bruttoinlandsprodukt und Bevölkerung, und seine Leistungen innerhalb der Vereinten Nationen würden schon jetzt den Anspruch rechtfertigen. “Außerdem würde keiner verstehen, wenn wir uns jetzt zurückzögen”.
What are Germany’s chances? According to Die Welt, even officials in the German Foreign Ministry give Fischer a a 50/50 chance of succeeding.
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Joschka Fischer is a bloody hypocrite who lives his own nightmare.
see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,811941,00.html
@Leo,
I was just on your Web site and am very impressed. Concerning the Guardian interview with Fischer – aside from his hypocrisy – do you disagree with his statement that there is no “German Way” with respect to German foreign policy?
-David
Europe is still powered by Joschka Fischers anarchist “center of gravity” concept – instead of clearly defined relations between the union states there is the Franco-German center of gravity which forms triple alliances, because in the current anti-democratic voting rights architecture Germany and France are the only states that can organize a majority by persuading just one single of the other 23 European states to join their proposals. Regarding national sovereignty, I believe there only is a way forward to democratize the European Union and transform it into a republic, no way back to cut up a single market into separate political entities only some of which are democratic. If you want me to achieve that, vote Bush.