The competition between countries and its success
Why, in an international competition, some countries triumph and others fail? Perhaps, it is its economy, the assumption that is made most frequently in our times, however, there are other factors that could increase its probability of success. In all nations, competitiveness has become one of the central concerns of the government. Some could say that the United States is the hegemon from the world and that Europe has much to learn from it. But, Europe simply does things differently from the United States and has worked in recent decades. In today’s world, it is impossible for a country to close borders and succeed, and that is something that Europe can teach the United States.
Europe is a very diverse continent where some states are in a better position to develop a necessary system for the future, but the most important thing is with very different standards and strategies from those that exist after World War II. I am undoubtedly a Euro-Optimist. In this essay, I dare not say that Europe will win in this competition to be the hegemon. In addition, I affirm that, in general, Europe is in a very adequate strategic position, and if you know how to take advantage of it, Europe can win this international power career, although in this process there is nothing simple and fast.
Europe has never been so prosperous, so stable or so free. The violence of the first half of the twentieth century has resulted in a period of peace and unprecedented stability in European history. The creation of the European Union has been an essential factor in this evolution. Has transformed both the relations between countries and the lives of their citizens. European countries have pledged their conflicts peacefully and cooperate through common institutions. Throughout this last century, authoritarian regimes have decreased due to the progressive extension of the rule of law and democracies. With the fall of communism in central and eastern Europe, Europeans feel closer. In 1993 the creation of the single market ends with the four freedoms: goods, services, people and capital. Today, the EU enjoys more freedoms than before;They are allowed to travel and work wherever they want within the limits of the EU.
The European Union has advanced towards a coherent foreign policy and an effective management of crises. It has instruments that can be used effectively. But if they want to have a more shocking contribution to the world and its citizens, they must play more actively and consistently and increase their abilities. In addition, they must cooperate within the European Union and the world. During the last decade, no region in the world has escaped to armed conflict. Europe continues to face threats and security challenges. The outbreak of terrorist attacks in recent years has been a reminder that security threats have not disappeared from this continent. The growing convergence of interests in the European Union and the strengthening of solidarity among its members make it a more credible and effective actor. Europe needs to make world security and the construction of a better world a priority. And until now, it has been demonstrated through international cooperation instead of military power.
The EU strategic tool to achieve its foreign policy objectives is through diplomacy. In contrast, Kagan argues that the United States forches more quickly. Compared to Europe, the United States is less patient with democracy, while European governments try to influence others through subtlety and indirection. They often emphasize the process on the result, believing that the process can become a substance. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, is a great businessman who comes from a world outside politics. He has not developed a solid relationship with any other state and has not shown chemistry with any political leader. In a recent state visit, Trump’s treatment to Trudeau was not even what an ally in the long term deserves. No other president has used this barricade language full of outbursts with other friendly nations;This behavior reflects an American foreign policy that has gradually abandoned diplomacy to promote military decisions.
In contrast, European leaders have overcome Trump’s style to replace it with a friendlier approach. Trump is willing to exchange the benefits of diplomacy for a more macho presence. Trump showed his charismatic personality and diplomacy during a recent trip by French president Emmanuel Macron to Washington. Macron received a spectacular welcome and Trump joked in public about the young president. The bets were high and Trump needed to demonstrate a strong diplomatic front because Macron could become the ideal European interlocutor for for the White House, especially since Trump has not click with Theresa May or Angela Merkel. But it turns out that Trump’s affectionate expressions are alien to politics, according to their perspective. This is the only way to understand such a direct attack in France a few days after receiving Macron and its relationship at the recent United Nations General Assembly. In contrast to the French president, he offered a master class on how to play this commander in boss so nervous. The strategic location of the United States has allowed him to be selective with his allies and enemies. From the beginning of history, Europe has been in contrast to war in territories and resources. Europe maintains agreements and relations with the main actors in the world, including emerging powers. A key element of its diplomacy is its objective of ensuring that relationships are based on mutual interests and benefits that contrast with the ideology of ‘America first’.
European countries have joined the European Union to end the frequent and bloody wars between neighbors, which culminated in World War II. The EU was an instrument to move Europe away from fear, a political operation to get away from a tragic story and avoid wars. Europe’s diplomacy has also shown a weak strategy to deal with international problems. Not long ago, the world witnessed how diplomacy has the same effect or even greater than the demonstration of military power. This makes diplomacy the first and most desirable tool for any state. A few months ago, Russia expelled diplomats from different European countries that expressed their solidarity with the United Kingdom for the Skripal case. Some experts claim that this measure has caused a new escalation of diplomatic tension between both parties. It is not clear the effects that this can create, but it is very unlikely to become an arduous war (BBC 2018). Multilateralism is the core of the foreign policy of European governments. The main objective of Europe is to create the conditions that will make the men of Europe live without fear or suspicion of the rapid change of the world and globalization. To achieve this, Europe had to learn to fight through political initiatives. The new institutions, where European countries merger and gradually give part of their sovereignty, adopt the point of view of a common interest and make decisions under democratic control provided by the institution of the European political community and parliament elected byUniversal suffrage. , Only in the interest of the community.
When I think that French, Germans, Belgian, Dutch, Italians, Luxembourgers, share common rules and their societies face the same problems, in doing so, they see a common problem and that, consequently, makes the behavior of others fundamental. changes have worked those problems, but there is a long way before a utopian state arrives. The EU has protected and will protect themselves from countries that move towards a unilateral strategy. The European Union has always been proud to be a community with values that protect minorities and have welcomed the poor and oppressed. The EU is formed by minorities and has suffered its quota of poverty and adversity. But what values could democrats like Merkel, Macron and Routte with the political leaders of the extreme right in Hungary, Poland, Italy and even Austria? Common sense and history tell us that a selfish position, which violates the rule of law and discards international commitments, is not a recipe for the formulation of good policies. Macron promoted the European priority of multilateralism when he said that Viktor Orban Hungary and Poland of Jaroslaw Kaczynski should not be able to take advantage of their richest European partners, while these countries do not respect the values of the European Union. The multilateralist approach in Europe is in danger of breaking once the United Kingdom leaves the EU. It seems that EU leaders have accepted that the United Kingdom is determined to leave, and there is not much they can do about it. Certainly, EU leaders are not going to undermine their own successful economic model to do a favor to London. EU’s rational behavior of allowing the United Kingdom to follow the path they chose to provide EU leaders with the opportunity to focus on potential threats.
For now, the EU must face the challenges that are coming with cohesive and collaboration policies that combine human efficacy and decency. We live in a world with new threats but also with great opportunities. Given its potential, Europe can make a decisive contribution to deal with threats and materialize opportunities. It would be naive to assume that the European Union can achieve this without seeing what its best ally has done, the United States, in the last century, but assuming that it has to follow its example would be an exaggeration. An active European Union and capable of adapting to the costs and problems that globalization entails, as well as its interactions with each other and with other nations. This is the legitimate influence on the international scene and, therefore, contribute to an effective multilateral system that leads to a more just, safer and united world.
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