Ties with friendly powerhouse

A German Europe or a European Germany? The question was first posed at the time of the collapse of communism, particularly when the two Germanies united together. But, in my opinion, it has gained added relevance of late given the euro crisis and the German approach to the problem.

The irony of it all is that while the German economy has never been stronger in recent years – even more so when compared to other key players in the European Union – there are some who imply that it often acts as if it is under pressure on the home front. This implicitly suggests they might be pursuing an introspective rather than a proactive national agenda often at the perceived expense of EU solidarity. I do not believe this to be the case.

A visit to a particular country as part of a Parliamentary Friendship Group delegation can easily be dismissed as a joy ride. But a quick look at the long drawn up and detailed programme prepared, in the majority of cases at our specific request – at least by areas of interest, one could easily tell that the German side gave much attention to our recent visit.

Foreign affairs, the energy and climate sector and renewables featured prominently, as the overriding key EU issues did, particularly the Greek economic rescue operation.

At a parliamentary level one has the “luxury” of the inbuilt flexibility to talk more directly and bluntly than at a purely government level.

Whether German foreign interests are triggered by the pacifist sentiment that tends to prevail within the country or else has ultimately economic objectives in mind is something one could speculate about, although I would not be surprised if, at day’s end, we could have a combination of both.

Any leader that fails to read the sign of the times is bound to come a cropper. And although Angela Merkel has had her fair share of setbacks in her centre right coalition government, the impression I got is that she is far, far stronger than her own government.

Although I do not share the same political sentiments, I must say that those of the Left party sure make their presence felt. Both at committee level and through their vice president of the Bundestag . Petra Pau, with whom we had a most courteous meeting and who had an Eastern German background.

The general feeling was that although even people close to the government might regret it having abstained during the UN Security Council vote to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, many felt that although the Gaddafi regime could seem to be on the skids the stance adopted by the Allies can only end up in military intervention and soldiers on the ground, particularly when the stalemate has prevailed for so long, such that no clear exit strategy seems to have been mapped out.

On the other hand, Germany remains a pivotal if not also the pivotal European country within Nato in spite of the perception it might give of a country with a semi neutral stay-at-home mentality.

The environment, the climate and energy were high on our agenda not only because we insisted they would or should be but more so because one can easily tell they are dominating the internal debate within the country.

In fact, while we were there, the German government gave its green light for emissions-friendly technology through the approval for testing carbon capture and storage technology. This was done to enable coal-fired power plants to liquefy their pollutants and store them underground. On their part, environmentalists had mixed views of this technology, some even rejecting it, claiming it offered a pseudo-environmental friendly pretext to stick to their adherence to fossil fuels. But since the law passed on Thursday entails an opt-out clause for specific states that oppose such technology I think the step was logical overall.

Germany has set very high benchmarks regarding renewables, particularly in the wake of Fukushima.

One debate going in Germany among the various political factions is whether on the euro crisis Germany is actually promising to bail out the Greek economy or else to offer an air bag to the European banks.

No country can fail to make do without stirring some controversy these days and Germany is no exception. While we were there, we came to learn of their reported plans to sell some 200 battle tanks to Saudi Arabia. On one hand, Chancellor Merkel insisted that the weapons deal is ultimately transparent while the opposition has demanded that the sale be revoked. The controversy arose over the fact that the deal was apparently approved secretly by the German Security Council but then subsequently leaked to the media.

Of all the meetings we had I would like to particularly single out the long meeting we had with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Werner Hoyer.

In the foreseeable future, Germany will continue to grow stronger in spite of any internal tensions. Their export-led growth and pick-up in domestic demand are sufficient indicators.

We must continue to nurture our relations with this friendly powerhouse of a country with which we have had long-standing links and investments for at least four decades on end. I consider this to be a win-win situation for both sides. Neither side can afford to turn its back on.

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The author, a Labour MP, sits on the House Standing Committee for Foreign and European Affairs.