Commentary
Judy Dempsey
{
"authors": [
"Judy Dempsey"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie Europe"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Europe",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Russia",
"Europe"
],
"topics": [
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Merkel Facing a Frozen Conflict and Chilly Diplomacy
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany has her hands full this week, with issues concerning Moldova, France, and Greece.
By Judy Dempsey
Published on Aug 20, 2012
Source: New York Times
Little, if anything.
Take Moldova. Ms. Merkel on Wednesday is off to this poor, corrupt and divided country on the fringe of the European Union and the Caucasus. It borders the E.U. member-state Romania.
Ms. Merkel wants to end this longtime “frozen conflict,” but without the cooperation of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president with whom Ms. Merkel does not have good relations, it is difficult to see what she can achieve — unless the lure of German investment and the European Union can shift the balance of power in Moldova.Back in Berlin, on Thursday, Ms. Merkel will have to deal with requests by President François Hollande of France to soften the conditions for Greece.
Ms. Merkel is in no position to say yes or no. Her Christian Democrats, and the public, are in no mood to give Greece more time or more money. And in any case, Ms. Merkel cannot do anything right now, as she will explain to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras of Greece, whom she will host in Berlin on Aug. 24.
As I write in my latest column, Ms. Merkel can say with full conviction that she has to wait until Sept. 12, when the country’s Constitutional Court will give its ruling on whether Germany can both ratify the fiscal pact that she negotiated with her E.U. partners and contribute to the bailout mechanism of the European Stability Mechanism.
If the court says no, then the only way Germany can forge ahead on Europe is a referendum on a new constitution. If the judges give a qualified yes, Ms. Merkel will still have a difficult job convincing her skeptical party — and the German public — that Germany must pay more.
About the Author
Judy Dempsey
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Judy Dempsey is a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe
- Europe Needs to Hear What America is Saying
- Babiš’s Victory in Czechia Is Not a Turning Point for European PopulistsCommentary
Judy Dempsey
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
- What Does Central Europe’s Post-Orban Russia Policy Look Like?Commentary
Though Orban is gone, Putin can still count on some like-minded individuals in Central and Eastern Europe. However, they will seek to avoid open confrontation with EU institutions over Ukraine and their ties with Moscow.
Dimitar Bechev
- Are Russia-Japan Relations Really Warming Up?Commentary
The truth is that Japan’s government is seeking a degree of reengagement but at a vastly reduced level than under Abe. Most significantly, Japan has shown no willingness to ease sanctions.
James D.J. Brown
- Brussels and Baku Are Talking Again: What Next?Commentary
Azerbaijan’s relations with the EU appear to be going from strength to strength after several years in the deep freeze following the military escalation in Karabakh in 2023 and Azerbaijan’s bitter fallout with France and several other EU member states.
Shujaat Ahmadzada
- In Russia, Private Companies Have Been Left to Pick Up the Tab for Ukrainian Drone AttacksCommentary
The cost of air defense has become an unregistered tax on revenue for businesses. While military rents are consolidated in the federal budget, the costs of defense are being spread across the balance sheets of companies and regional governments.
Alexandra Prokopenko
- As Trump Threatens to Quit NATO, the Baltic States Are Playing for TimeCommentary
Governments in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania want to ensure that a U.S. military withdrawal would not leave them dangerously exposed to a Russian attack.
Sergejs Potapkins
