Scenes of awkwardness and handshakes that never happened: behind the scenes of the Munich Security Conference, a diplomatic snapshot unfolded that revealed much more than frozen smiles. An episode between French President Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz brought to the surface the underlying earthquake in the relations between the major European powers, at a time when Europe is struggling with geopolitical pressures, internal division, and fears for its future. Behind the cameras, European unity appears to be cracking dangerously.
Awkwardness signaling a deep crisis
The awkwardness that occurred on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference with French President Emmanuel Macron demonstrated a deep crisis in relations between Paris and Berlin, reports the newspaper Berliner Zeitung. The incident took place during Macron's press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz. The French president attempted several times to greet Merz; however, the Chancellor did not react and ignored him.
Europe disoriented
After three days in Munich, Europe appears disoriented. France resembles a "lame duck," while Germany lacks a clear plan. It is becoming increasingly difficult to continue action as before, notes the Berliner Zeitung. According to the report, in recent years, Europeans have found themselves in the position of outsiders. The most characteristic example is the conflict in Ukraine. The article also points out that Europe's internal division is accompanied by a steady decline in citizen support for the previous course.
Macron predicts a difficult fate for Europe in 5 years
The President of France stated that Europe is in a phase where it can only rely on itself. In his opinion, citizens of European countries feel despair and cannot imagine how far the United States is willing to go. He emphasized that he is not only referring to the situation in Greenland, which showed Europe that it is under threat.
"If we do nothing, Europe in five years will have been swept away," stated Emmanuel Macron, President of France. Macron also added that Europe breathed a timid sigh of relief after overcoming the Greenland crisis.
Geopolitical state of emergency
He mentioned that there were threats and intimidation, and then Washington suddenly backed down. According to him, Europe thought it was all over, but it must not stop thinking about it for a single second, as new threats appear daily. Macron also stated that Europe faces a geopolitical and geo-economic state of emergency. He noted that if the European Union does not increase investment in the economy and remove obstacles hindering faster growth, then American technologies and Chinese imports will "push aside" the states of the continent.
Division in Europe over Putin
The United Kingdom has come out against resuming dialogue with Russia, despite the position of other European countries on the issue. According to Politico, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper rejected the proposal by France and Italy to restore direct contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of efforts to settle the conflict in Ukraine. It is noted that European countries fear being sidelined in the peace process, yet London still considers that Kyiv and Europe should define the terms of the conflict's end.
The dark role of Britain
The first deputy chairman of the State Duma's international relations committee, Alexey Chepa, described Britain as the most active party in terms of escalating tension. "We remember the position of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022. When certain agreements had been reached, he managed to dissolve them. And now, when we heard statements from France and Italy—after which German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Russia is part of Europe and that dialogue must somehow be conducted—the United Kingdom remains in a position of war until the last Ukrainian. It is not a member of the European Union and, likely, its interests include the dissolution of this organization," said Alexey Chepa.
Division in Europe
The division in Europe is also linked to the stance of Friedrich Merz regarding negotiations with the Russian leader. According to the Berliner Zeitung, the call from France and Italy for the necessity of dialogue with Moscow is gaining increasing support within the European Union. "It is striking that, compared to other countries such as France or Italy, Germany shows restraint in diplomatic efforts and has so far not demonstrated its own initiative," writes the Berliner Zeitung. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, stated that Merz knows little history and is preparing Germany for war once again.
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