The recent kerfuffle between Berlin and Washington which ended - or at least, this round ended - with the Berlin Head of Station for the CIA being booted out - I was tempted to write 'jack-booted out' but restrained myself! - indicates some seismic shifts are occurring beneath the surface of international relations between the two countries. Actually, rather than being just a squabble between a normally happily maried couple it may be more like a 'three in the bed' scandal because, of course, Russia is involved, too. There is a 'MUST READ' article in Spiegel which sums up the delicate state of German foreign policy today. It is headed "Germany's Choice: Will It Be America or Russia?" and that about sums it up.
Con Coughlin in The Telegraph puts the Anglo-American defence of its spying activities against Germany quite bluntly - "We spy on the Germans because we cannot trust them!" Given that Spiegel reports an almost even 50/50 split between those Germans who wish to remain pro-America and the West, and those who want closer ties to Russia, Coughlin's suspicions may be sound. However, it should come as no surprise that Germany, two or three generations after the war and after decades of war guilt which has enforced a somewhat supine attitude to its foreign policy, should finally 'grow up' and feeling its teen-age muscles decide to be far more independent. As far as Europe is concerned it is, of course, the biggest, strongest, new kid on the block. As the French are belatedly discovering, where once Germany used to be the poodle they took 'walkies', now it's the poodle pulling them!
Now, more than ever, it is essential that we get out of the EU which acts simply as a sort of German hijab to cover German intentions. In the meantime, our dearly not-beloved 'Ministry for Foreigners' should be undertaking some very clear, longterm thinking on future British policy. Well, it would make a change!
