Posted: 05.12.2022 15:26:00

Expert explains reasons for stronger contradictions within the EU

Europe is currently going through very difficult times, and this is leading to an increase in contradictions between the EU member states – as noted by Aleksei Avdonin, an analyst with the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, in his talk with Alfa Radio

The expert stressed that, in a crisis, everyone starts thinking more about themselves, rather than common interests. “It is now necessary to distinguish such concepts as the European Union, Brussels, national states, interests and policies. We see how Germany, France and Italy are increasingly claiming that their policies differ from those of Brussels and the European Union. That is, when (conditionally) there is nothing to eat, few people think about democracy and European unity: everyone is thinking about themselves, about how to save their state, people and companies. This is becoming the main task, and this will naturally lead to the situation when the whole structure of the European Union may be levelled or the values formed over the past 50-60 years are lost. We see that the disagreements between the EU countries, primarily France, Germany, Italy and Poland, are intensifying. Everyone understands that they will not be able to withstand such an economic and social burden that the United States is trying to impose on European countries. Clearly, they need to make a key decision: either to think about themselves or about Americans,” he explained.

Mr. Avdonin added that Europe's need to make a certain choice is imaginary: it cannot develop without Russia. “Europe’s peaceful existence without Russia is an illusion that the US tried to impose on people in the European Union. Earlier, Europe was developing only thanks to cheap energy resources from the Russian Federation. Cheap gas and oil enabled Europeans to make goods cheaper and quietly promote them to the world market, including by supplying huge volumes to the US market. At present, Americans are trying to cut off this flow of cheap energy resources and supply their own, which comprise LNG or oil from the Middle East that is many times more expensive than energy carriers from the Russian Federation. The owners of European companies – who can make calculations in the right way – address their politicians now, saying that the United States is imposing an illusion that will lead to bankruptcy and a total chaos in a year or two, and that it is accordingly necessary to turn to Russia and start talking to it. Moreover, many European countries begin to introduce norms that offset the decisions of Brussels on sanctions against Russia on the procurement of raw materials and energy carriers. Most likely, Brussels will make a decision regarding the sanctions against Moscow. These are likely to be supplemented by separate decisions of states and national governments on co-operation with Russia. This move will undermine the status of the European Union and its legislative acts. As a result, the Euro-Atlantic governance model will collapse,” the expert stated.

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