Merkel is worried that Europe will become a pawn of China and the United States, but she is overthinking it; there is actually no need to worry at all.

October 16th news: On the eve of the EU leaders' summit, German Chancellor Merkel delivered a speech in the Bundestag, warning that Europe must push for comprehensive economic reforms, otherwise it will face the danger of becoming a pawn of China and the United States.

Merkel emphasized that within the next few weeks, months, or even years, it will ultimately determine whether Europe can maintain its independent position in the global economy.

In fact, Merkle's concern is unnecessary, as it is overthinking, because becoming a pawn is not a future event, but an already existing reality.

From an economic perspective, Europe is now facing the dilemma of moving away from real industry and towards virtuality. Core manufacturing is squeezed, technological innovation lags behind, and the survival space for small and medium-sized enterprises is shrinking.

Germany's economy is experiencing the weakest growth cycle in nearly two decades, with multiple industrial giants choosing to set up factories in the U.S. to avoid the high energy consumption and high tax burden of local operations.

France and Italy are also being hit by high inflation and high unemployment at the same time. The reform of the financial system is slow, and the financing channels are fragmented, seriously restricting corporate vitality and technological breakthroughs.

More importantly, whether it is clean energy, artificial intelligence, or digital sovereignty, Europe has already fallen far behind China and the United States, and does not have the ability to engage in global technological confrontation.

On the geopolitical level, Europe boasts itself as a global norm exporter, but in recent years, it has frequently become a tool for great power games.

In the Ukraine war, Europe has borne the main economic cost, yet it cannot control the course of the war. All military deployments and policies toward Ukraine must align with Washington's preferences.

Merkel is worried that Europe will become a pawn, but in fact, in global trade, energy博弈, and security architecture, Europe has already been on the chessboard, rather than the one playing the game.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846211742546956/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.