EU needs to join the U.S. and China as a third player

THE HAGUE – Dutch Foreign Affair minister Maxime Verhagen favours a stronger and united European voice in global politics. To achieve such an objective, European Union members need a common purpose. The EU needs to be more than a discussion platform and must be willing to be decisive, also militarily. According to Verhagen, the relation between the U.S.A. and China is central to the new international power structure. The EU ought to work towards changing this to a G3 situation, which could help stabilize the balance between to the two giants and make its own contribution to improving world affairs. Verhagen told his listeners at the Christian Democratic Appeal gathering that the EU has not yet assumed such a significant role. He also noted that this is important when dealing with rising powers such as India, Brazil and Russia. As far as Verhagen is concerned, the EU should be represented at the UN Security Council with one permanent seat (France and the U.K. now hold one each, along with the U.S., Russia and China.). A strong EU would also help the Americans, who share values such as liberty, democracy and human rights. With China’s rising influence, Verhagen anticipates that it will be difficult to maintain this heritage. Verhagen wants to keep his country involved in world affairs, in a more robust way, not just as an onlooker speaking meekly from the sidelines.