Blog Posts tagged with "European Union"

“We don’t necessarily like the verb “lead”… given our past.” 

“Unlike NATO, the EU lacks a 'Big Brother' with capability, push, and leadership."

“You could say that we Germans are reluctant to assist by picking up the bill for Greece, Ireland and Italy.”

Visit by U.S. and German military and defense civilians participating in the Bundeswehr’s Higher Command Course, to NATO Headquarters in Brussels Oct. 10.

These were some comments I heard recently from two representative groups of German society; a military group and a business group.  The military group consisted of 25 Colonels from the Bundeswehr’s Higher Command and Staff Course, Germany’s most senior course for Colonels. They invited me and 13 other Americans to join them Oct. 10-15 on visits to NATO and the EU in Brussels, and to the German Bundestag, Chancellery and various Ministries in Berlin. The business group was the Stuttgart Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce, German businessmen and women whose export-oriented businesses often target the American market and who visited our European Command (EUCOM) headquarters on Oct. 19.

 Despite the above statements professing modesty and a reluctance to lead or assist, after meeting these two groups I was left with the decided impression that “leading” and “assisting” are exactly what our German hosts are doing these days, and doing well. I say German hosts because the vast majority of the 100,000 U.S. military personnel based in Europe, members of our European Command, are hosted here in Germany. Four of our five Component Commands, and the EUCOM Headquarters itself, where I work, are all located in Germany; in Heidelberg, Ramstein or Stuttgart.

A visit to the German Ministry of Defense and a meeting with Germany’s Chief of Defense, General Wiekar, was a good reminder that Germany is a “leader” in Afghanistan; the 3rd largest troop contributor (behind the US and UK) they lead ISAF’s Regional Command North with 4,900 of their own soldiers and the participation of 18 other nations, and their Provincial Reconstruction Teams are notable examples of NATO’s “Comprehensive Approach” in practice. Also regarding Afghanistan, we were informed at the German Foreign Ministry that Bonn will host the largest international conference since World War II, focused on rebuilding Afghanistan, on Dec. 5.

Germany also leads in another NATO mission, Kosovo Force (KFOR). There they provide 1,500 soldiers out of a force of some 6,200 and have provided the Commander of the KFOR mission for the past 3 rotations. They also furnish the Operational Reserve Battalion to KFOR, a force recently deployed in the wake of rioting north of the Ibar River in northern Kosovo. Notwithstanding the understandable protestation of the average German not wanting to “bail out” their Greek and Italian neighbors, this is exactly what Germany has been doing of late. 

A visit to the German Mission to the EU and to the EU Parliament, which represents some 500 million Europeans, reinforced this point, but so too have recent headlines. They have noted  that the  rescue plan for the Euro and a bailout package for Greece as only occurring due to the pivotal leadership role played by Germany. No “Big Brother” for the EU?  I think one exists in Germany, who while often shying away from the public leadership mantle definitely has the capability to push and lead the European Union behind the scenes. 

I also witnessed German “leadership” in the business sector as we hosted German businesses from the AmCham in Stuttgart.  Here were representatives of an export industry in Baden Wuerttemberg that have made Germany the #2 exporting nation in the world (second only to China). They have contributed to making Germany’s $3 trillion economy the economic locomotive of the EU, easily outpacing the other larger EU nations of France and the UK. Theses businessmen produce sexy Porsche and Mercedes automobiles, but also unsexy Bosch electrical components and high quality, heavy industrial machinery.

Weihnachts Markets, Gluhwein, a purchase of a new VW or BMW, “Stuttgart 21”, that Gasthaus with those incredibly large Schnitzel, or the success of the German national Fussball team’s advancement (10 straight wins)  to the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine next year, these might be some of your current “German thoughts." May I suggest that a thought or two about our German host’s economic and military leadership, responsible leadership at that, on display from within the EU, to Kosovo, to Afghanistan, might also be appropriate? 

Mike Anderson, Acting Director,
J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate