Best articles: International NEWS 1724 August 2019 THE WEEKFallingout withAmericaDer Tagesspiegel
(Berlin)If only Germany and the US could haveagrown-up relationship, says Christoph von Marschall.
President Trump isn’t wrong to urge us to do more to meet our Nato commitments. But that doesn’t
excuse the “arrogant” behaviour of his ambassador, Richard Grenell, who’s now saying the US
could transfer all its troops stationed here to Poland. Of course, that’s an “empty threat”. There are
only 50,000 US troops in Germany, down from 300,000 in the Cold War, but it’s unthinkable that
the US would abandon infrastructure that cost billions: the command centre near Stuttgart; the mas-
sive air hub in Ramstein; the huge military hospital in Landstuhl. But at the same time, we Germans
are much too complacent. Thousands of public-sector jobs depend on the US presence. The slogan
“Ami [Yankee], go home” is only popular as long as it doesn’t have consequences–ift he Americans
really did plan to pull their troops out, even left-wing city mayors would beg them to stay. The
problem is that each side annoys the other to such an extent that we may lose sight of our real
interests. If we weren’t both so “haughty”, we’d remember why we became allies in the first place.How Russia
lost faith in
the Church
Gazeta.ru
(Moscow)
Russians are losing patience with the Orthodox Church, says Gazeta.ru.Avideo ofaham-fisted
priest practically drowning an infant duringabaptism is the latest of many incidents to cause public
outrage. Of course, the Church hierarchy rushed to the priest’s defence, insisting on his “love for his
parishioners”–but it’s odd how religious bigwigs, always quick to support their own, never have a
word of comfort for the poor who are struggling in the economic crisis. Nor do they ever speak up
for democracy, or against arbitrary arrests and police violence. On the contrary, they’re seen as
working hand in glove with the secular authorities against the public interest. There was fury in
Yekaterinburg recently at plans to buildanew church over one of the city’s few green spaces, while
the Church’s attempt to grab control of St Petersburg’s Cathedral of St Isaac, which has long been
run asastate museum, also led to protests. Millions of Russians consider themselves Orthodox
Christians–but belief in the Church’s ability to protect ordinary people is “clearly dying away”.Argentina appears doomed to remain trapped in its Peronist past for ever, says Andrés Oppenheimer.
The Peronist movement–based on the ideology of former president Juan Perón (1895-1974)–has
dominated since the end of the War, but was voted out in 2015. Now it’s set foracomeback, after
aconvincing victory in presidential primaries by the Peronist candidate Alberto Fernández, whose
running mate is former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. So much for hopes of becoming
an economically viable country–the stock market collapsed at the news and Argentinians rushed to
buy dollars. With few exceptions, Peronist governments have been “remarkably corrupt”, spending
far beyond their means. When the economic reckoning comes, they always blame others–the US,
the IMF or another “scapegoat”. Our country has suffered more recessions than almost any other.
Economists are putting onabrave face, hoping Fernández will turn out to be less profligate than
Mrs Kirchner. He’s certainly more pragmatic than his predecessor, but she may call the shots if they
win in October. If Argentinians can’t wean themselves off populist leaders, things will never getbetter.Repeating
the mistakes
of history
La Nación
(Buenos Aires)
GERMANYRUSSIAARGENTINAItaly’s far-right deputy PM, Matteo
Salvini, is riding high, said Andrea
Fioravanti inLinkiesta (Milan).His
Brussels-bashing anti-immigrant
rhetoric has struckachord with
voters. After 14 months inafractious
two-party coalition with the anti-
establishment Five Star Movement
(5SM), his League party has climbed
to around 38% in the polls (from 17%
last year), while support for 5SM has
dwindled to 15%. Now Salvini wants
to bank those gains and run Italy on
his own. Last week, he declared he
could no longer work with 5SM and
pulled out of the governing coalition,
prompting Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who is independent
of both parties, to resign in disgust. By seekingavote of no
confidence, Salvini is irresponsibly “looking forapretext to
return to the polls”, said Conte. Which indeed he is. But getting
his wish won’t be easy: Italy’s president, Sergio Mattarella, is
likely to invite others to try to formagovernment, or even to
appoint an interim technocrat administration.Salvini’s big problem is that the League is outnumbered in
parliament, said Michael Braun inDie Zeit (Hamburg):other
parties could well gang up to stop him forcing an election. Until
recently, that would have been unthinkable: after last year’s
poll, 5SM categorically ruled out an alliance with the centre-left
Democratic Party (PD), which it depicted as the epitome of
corrupt Italian politics, while the PD’s then leader, ex-PMMatteo Renzi, swore he’d never get
into bed with 5SM. But now, in an
“astonishing” reversal, the 5SM’s
figurehead, comedian Beppe Grillo,
has called foranew coalition to stop
the League “barbarians”. And last
week, the two parties voted together
to postpone Salvini’s no-confidence
motion. It’s not impossible that they
could now join forces inapact that
might last to 2023.Let’s hope his opponents succeed, said
Le Monde (Paris):Salvini poses an
“existential challenge” to Europe. He
has “criminalised” those who aid
refugees; he prefers Russia’s foreign policy to the EU’s. And his
plans for huge tax cuts could provokeadevastating storm on
financial markets: ats2.3trn, Italy’s debt is unsustainable. The
League even talks ofa“smooth” exit from the euro, when it’s
clearly not possible. What’s odd is that Salvini, who has clearly
underestimated the obstacles to bringing down the government,
seems to be in sucharush, said Oliver Meiler inTages-Anzeiger
(Zurich).Could it be due to his anxiety over claims that the
League is being funded by the Kremlin? Recent news reports
suggest thataSalvini aide solicited illegal contributions from
Russia–and no proper explanation has been given. So maybe
Salvini is inarush to call an election before the scandal dents
his support. But it could backfire: the scrutiny of an election
could make voters think again, and with his bubble burst Salvini
may then find his “hateful” past coming back to haunt him.Salvini: hoping for an autumn electionSalvini’s bid to bring down Italy’s coalition government