Opinion

Europe: The big prize!

September 10, 2018
Europe: The big prize!

Hussein Shobokshi



I write these lines from the Britain’s capital of London, which over time has become the capital of the world. Including the movement of the world economic, tourism, cultural and civilization, it is a crucible and the intersection of modern cultures today. In these days, the British capital is witnessing a "massive tourist invasion from the Gulf States," a clear Arab presence is added to the dozens of other nationalities that have made London the first destination of tourist travel among the world capitals.

The conflict over London is a reflection of the conflict over Europe itself. While the British are still dazed by the outcome of the referendum that led to the country’s exit from the EU, there is growing conviction that Britain will back down by allowing a new referendum to allow it to return to the EU because the economic cost of getting out of it is much greater than expected, and the disadvantages of the exit, indicate to those who make the political decisions in the country, are greater than the desired benefits of it.

In anticipation of this change expected in the British decision there is an innocent movement of two influential parties shaping thoughts in the European continent. Russia and America. Russian President Vladimir Putin is exerting enormous pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to urge her to abandon the application of economic sanctions against Russia in return for extraordinary political and economic temptations.

Putin is also exerting enormous pressure on Eastern European countries to "build" a new front in Europe and to help the voices of the extreme right in order to have an individual national voice instead of a fusion within the collective voice, which according to his opinion, overlooks the dangers of "immigrants, radical political Islam and the loss of traditional European identity," and therefore Putin is moving strongly to support the racist speeches of the right.

And it is evident in a country like Hungary. For example the government’s call and the threat of getting out of the European market appears to be mere ink on paper because it relies heavily on aid from the European market itself, but the threat is there.

Then there is America’s Trump, which insists on dealing with the European market as a discount, and urges Britain to get out of the EU by tempting it with an alternative agreement to meet their needs and cover their fears. In this line, Steve Bannon, a former strategic adviser to US President Donald Trump, is traveling in Europe to meet the leaders of extreme right-wing parties to encourage them to express their views without fear and chalk out "the future for them."

He is establishing popular bases for his extremist ideology in more than one European capital; the aim is to allow national right-wing forces in all European countries to unite under common goals before the May 2019 elections of the European Parliament until the desired effect of bringing about a complete change in the European future.

Europe is the grand prize for this mobility, and that is the desired goal. France survived the fate of England in the last minute; Germany forced Merkel to include a right-wing party in her government to form the ruling bloc, as well as the right has got a foothold in Italy.

There are terrifying forces trying to break up Europe through the democratic elections. They remember that Donald Trump came through the polls and as did Adolf Hitler. It is the weak gap in the democratic system that "allows" extremism to reach for power. What will Europe, the cradle of civilizations, ideas and freedoms, do and how will it respond? It is an open question.


September 10, 2018
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