Don’t Sweat Institutions, Fix Relationships

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Eurosion

Don’t Sweat Institutions, Fix Relationships Andrew A. Michta

Europe is running out of time to overcome its conceptual inertia.

Published on: December 11, 2017

Andrew A. Michta is the dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Views expressed here are his own

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Tom

Finally, some sanity about the whole European project. The EU is almost the poster child for centralizing too much and too quickly, and it’s long past time that the Eurocrats realized that.
If the EU can hold together, that’s probably a good thing, but better a Europe split into multiple groups–NorBalt Union, Mediterranean Bloc, Visegrad–than the path it’s on now.
Boritz

“And the European fascination with institutional restructuring is cresting again: The leader of Germany’s SPD, Martin Schulz, has called for the creation of a “United States of Europe” by 2025.”

Cresting? The SPD was badly spanked in the September elections as noted elsewhere in TAI, and Schulz was getting his regular paycheck from the EU as president of the European Parliament before returning to become head of the SPD in Germany. Of course he’s on board with a U.S. of E. , but that doesn’t mean there is an appetite for this.
WigWag

When Europe abandoned Christianity, metaphorically it slit its wrists. It is currently sitting naked and alone in a warm bath tub with the water turning redder by the moment as its consciousness slowly but surely seeps away.
D4x

Andrew A. Michta makes two good, and, relevant, points,
beyond his title “Don’t Sweat Institutions, Fix Relationships”:[…]In fact, a
number among Europe’s elite are beginning to wake up to the realization that,
while European and American publics may not have all the right answers to their
nations’ current predicaments, they are nonetheless asking the right questions
on immigration, economic policy, national power, defense priorities, and most
of all national sovereignty. […]What Europe needs today is less preaching from
Brussels about the impending brave new world of a two-tiered Europe and more
direct capital-to-capital engagement, with political leaders speaking privately and plainly to each other, […]

Unfortunate Michta was asleep Dec. 4-8, 2017, missing what the 28 foreign ministers of the EU, along with another 31 foreign ministers said to each other, along with SecState Tillerson: https://www.state.gov/secretary/travel/2017/t18/index.htm
Travel to Brussels, Vienna, and Paris, December 4-8, 2017
Photos from the trip» Secretary Tillerson traveled to Brussels, Belgium; Vienna, Austria; and Paris, France, December 4-8.
On December 4, he arrived in Brussels, where he met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and attended the December 5-6 NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting.[…]
On December 7 in Vienna, he attended the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council,
[…]he attended the opening and first plenary
sessions, together with ministers from the 57 OSCE participating States. He
also met separately with Foreign Minister […] Finally, Secretary Tillerson
traveled to Paris to meet with senior French leaders […] AFP: French Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Lebanon PM Saad Hariri, President Emmanuel Macron,
and Amina Mohammed, the UN deputy secretary-general: AFP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLGejtN6KEA He also participated in the [UN]International Support Group for Lebanon ministerial on December 8.[Links to every State.gov readout, remarks]

EU Foreign Affairs Ministers meet Rex Tillerson -Highlights
Council of the EU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWuzXUWF3WQ
Dec 5, 2017 EU Foreign Affairs Ministers met US Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson. They spoke, among other topics, about Trans-Atlantic
relations and the common challenge of countering terrorism. Watch the
highlights of the press statements by High Representative Federica Mogherini
and Secretary Tillerson here.

NATO Secretary General – North Atlantic Council at Foreign
Ministers Meeting, 6 DEC 2017 NATO
News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmL44hZQiuM
Published on Dec 6, 2017
Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the start
of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on projecting stability and
fighting terrorism at the level of NATO Foreign Ministers, 6 December
2017.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe: #OSCEMC17 Published on Dec 7, 2017
Statement by the Secretary of State of the United States of America Rex
TILLERSON at the First Plenary Session of the 24th Ministerial Council taking
place in Vienna, Austria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep6TBFGngPc
TRANSCRIPT:https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2017/12/276319.htm
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe:
What is the OSCE?

Published on Sep 14, 2017
With 57 participating States in North America, Europe and
Asia, the OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization. The OSCE
works for stability, peace and democracy for more than a billion people,
through political dialogue about shared values and through practical work that makes a lasting difference.
What is the Ministerial Council? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWnXM0dpytY
Published on Nov 30, 2017
The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing
body of the OSCE. The meeting, held annually, provides the Foreign Ministers of
the 57 OSCE participating States an opportunity to review and assess the
Organization’s activities and strengthen the dialogue on security issues in the OSCE area.

Rex Tillerson meets with Russia’s Lavrov for Discussions in Vienna at (OSCE) LIVE SATELLITE NEWS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tayHxjEN53M Published on Dec 7, 2017 U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met for
face-to-face talks on December 7 during the annual Ministerial Council of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The Dec. 8, 2017 ISGL meet was a major conference “chaired by the UN and France, and attended by
PM Hariri, the foreign ministers of the US, China, Russia, Germany, Britain, and the EU, and representatives of the Arab League, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Bank, and the office of the UN special coordinator for Lebanon.
That’s the UN Security Council ++++++. That required a LOT of co-ordination and planning since Hariri resigned and re-appeared!
Arab News reported the full story: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1206276/middle-east

09 19 2017 President Donald Trump and and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at UN headquarters for the general debate of the General
Assembly’s 72nd session with Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed UN Photo Rick Bajornas.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/47e5518a3b6eaa7da767089bb21167e99987e0998840036646fd7b8327cb00d9.jpg
https://www.indepthnews.net/index.php/opinion/1375-trump-opted-for-making-the-un-great-omitting-the-word-again
09 21 2017 Trump Opted for Making the UN Great (Omitting the Word “Again”) Viewpoint by Hugh Dugan
Just in case Michta reads the comments – maybe next time he’ll use primary sources instead of echoing the NYT and The Guardian head-faking spin away from reality.
- Everett Brunson
  
  On the first video, who is sitting directly to Tillerson’s right? If body language can be trusted Tillerson’s remarks at 2:15 touched a nerve.
  - D4x
    
    The OSCE USA plenary? Embassy of Andorra in Vienna Mrs. Marta Salvat Batista ; Chargée d’affaires a.i. Special envoy for political and security affairs. She chaired Andorra’s plenary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRf96Rx5T7A
    With a population of 77,000+, Andorra only has ten Embassies. Those in Paris, Geneva, and Vienna do double duty with transnational organizations like OSCE. https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/andorra
    The Ambassador to Belgium does a lot more.
    My desktop has no sound drivers, so I can not listen. I wonder if Catalonia came up – Andorra’s official language is Catalan. At the time of that referendum, it occurred to me that Catalonia could secede from Spain, and join Andorra, whose sovereignty is protected by a decree from Charlemagne, and excellent geography. Each family is required to have access to a firearm. Just in case 🙂
- D4x
  
  Those of us paying attention live in Dr. Seuss’s Who-ville: WE ARE HERE! Thank you POTUS and FLOTUS Trump for listening to Who-ville. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5f5bd437b20bcaf58cb416b8f436b5b81fb127a7d2bb18aee359fc4ffa1a6052.jpg
  
  For the record, I want to thank Secretary of State Tillerson, and his team at the State Department, for working so hard on behalf
  of a nation denied reasonable and relevant coverage and analysis by most of America’s news media and credentialed punditry.
  The United States Department of State can be proud of what you all accomplish, especially the week of December 4-8, 2017:
  https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2017/12/276236.htm
  DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE December 5, 2017
  SECRETARY REX TILLERSON
  10:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with the staff
  and families from U.S. Embassy Brussels, U.S. Mission to the European Union and
  U.S. Mission to NATO, in Brussels, Belgium.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  11:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with Belgium
  Prime Minister Charles Michel, in Brussels, Belgium.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  12:05 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with European
  Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, in Brussels, Belgium.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  12:35 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in a Joint Statement to the Media with European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, in Brussels, Belgium. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  12:45 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in a Family Photo with European Union Foreign Ministers, in Brussels,
  Belgium.(POOLED PRESS COVERAGE)
  12:50 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in a working luncheon hosted by European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, in Brussels, Belgium.(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  3:00 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in Brussels, Belgium(POOLED CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  3:30 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the North Atlantic Council at Foreign Minister Level meeting, in Brussels, Belgium.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  6:05 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in NATO Family Photo, in Brussels, Belgium.(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
  7:00 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson attends NATO Ministerial working dinner, in Brussels, Belgium.(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  
  DEPUTY SECRETARY JOHN SULLIVAN
  11:15 a.m. Deputy Secretary Sullivan officiates swearing-in ceremony for U.S. Ambassador-designate to Afghanistan John R. Bass, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS THOMAS SHANNON
  10:30 a.m. Under Secretary Shannon meets with Republic of
  Korea (ROK) Ambassador Cho Yoon-je, at the Department of State.(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Shannon meets with German Foreign Policy Advisor Jan Hecker, at the Department of State.(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS DONALD Yamamoto Acting Assistant Secretary Yamamoto is on travel to Nairobi Kenya from December 4-6.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS TINA KAIDANOW Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kaidanow is on travel to California, the Republic of Korea, and the Philippines from November29-December 7.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS JUDITH GARBER PrincipalDeputy Assistant Secretary Garber is on travel to Nairobi, Kenya to attend the
  United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-3) from December 4-6.
  
  https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2017/12/276278.htm
  DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE December 6, 2017
  SECRETARY REX TILLERSON
  Secretary Tillerson is on travel to Brussels, Belgium and Vienna, Austria. Please click here for more information.
  9:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the
  NATO-Georgia Commission Meeting, in Brussels, Belgium.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  10:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu,
  in Brussels, Belgium.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  10:30 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with UK Foreign
  Secretary Boris Johnson, in Brussels, Belgium. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  11:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the North Atlantic Council at Foreign Minister Level, in Brussels, Belgium. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  1:00 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson holds a press availability, in Brussels, Belgium.(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
  1:30 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson attends a working luncheon with NATO Foreign Ministers, in Brussels, Belgium. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  
  DEPUTY SECRETARY JOHN SULLIVAN
  Deputy Secretary Sullivan attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.
  UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS THOMAS SHANNON
  Under Secretary Shannon has no public appointments.
  ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS DONALD YAMAMOTO Acting Assistant Secretary
  Yamamoto is on travel to Nairobi, Kenya from December 4–6.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS TINA KAIDANOW Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kaidanow is on travel to California, the Republic of Korea, and the Philippines from November
  29–December 7. Please click here for more information.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS JUDITH GARBER Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Garber is on travel to Nairobi, Kenya to attend the
  United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-3) from December 4–6.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE
  AFFAIRS FRANCISCO L. PALMIERI Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Palmieri is on travel to Guyana from December 5–7.
  
  https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2017/12/276317.htm
  DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE December 7, 2017
  SECRETARY REX TILLERSON
  
  Secretary Tillerson is on travel to Vienna, Austria. Please click here for more information.
  8:30 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the
  Crimea Side Event hosted by Ukraine and Sweden, in Vienna, Austria.‎ (MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
  9:45 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the
  Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Family Photo, in Vienna, Austria.‎
  (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
  9:50 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in Friends of Georgia Family Photo, in Vienna, Austria. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
  10:00 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the OSCE Ministerial Opening Session, in Vienna, Austria. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  11:30 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, in Vienna, Austria. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  12:00 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, in Vienna, Austria. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  12:35 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in a joint press availability with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, in Vienna, Austria. (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
  1:00 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, in Vienna, Austria. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  1:30 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in Working Luncheon for the OSCE Foreign Ministers hosted by Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, in Vienna, Austria.‎ (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  2:30 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Vienna, Austria. (CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  3:15 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, in Vienna, Austria. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  4:50 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the OSCE
  Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) Leadership Photo, in Vienna, Austria. (POOL PRESS COVERAGE)
  5:20 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with the staff and families from the U.S. Embassy Vienna, U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna and U.S. Mission to the OSCE, in Vienna, Austria.(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  7:30 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the Working Dinner for the OSCE Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations, in Vienna, Austria. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  
  DEPUTY SECRETARY JOHN SULLIVAN
  9:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Sullivan testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Capitol Hill. Please click here for more information. (MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
  2:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Sullivan meets with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang, at the Department of State. (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS THOMAS SHANNON
  Under Secretary Shannon has no public appointments.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS TINA KAIDANOW Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kaidanow is on travel to California, the Republic of Korea, and the Philippines from November
  29-December 7. Please click here for more information.
  PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS FRANCISCO PALMIERI Principal
  Deputy Assistant Secretary Palmieri is on travel to Guyana from December 5-7.Please click here for more information.
  
  https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2017/12/276355.htm
  DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLIC SCHEDULE December 8, 2017
  SECRETARY REX TILLERSON
  Secretary Tillerson is on travel to Paris, France and en route to Washington, D.C. Please click here for more information.
  9:30 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon Ministerial Meeting, in Paris, France.‎(CAMERA SPRAY AT TOP)
  11:15 a.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with the staff and families from the U.S. Embassy Paris, in Paris, France.‎
  (POOLED PRESS COVERAGE)
  12:35 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson attends a working luncheon hosted by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Paris,France.‎ (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)‎
  1:50 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson participates in a joint press availability with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Paris, France.‎ (OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
  2:30 p.m. LOCAL Secretary Tillerson meets with French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, France.‎ (CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
  
  DEPUTY SECRETARY JOHN SULLIVAN Deputy Secretary Sullivan attends meetings and briefings, at the Department of State.
  UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS THOMAS SHANNON Under Secretary Shannon has no public appointments.
Everett Brunson

. . .while European and American publics’ may not have all the right answers to their nations’ current predicaments, they are nonetheless asking the right questions on immigration, economic policy, national power, defense priorities, and most of all national sovereignty.

And the answer from Brussels appears to be upping central control, more limitations on speech (abetted quite nicely by member nations Sweden, Denmark, the UK, and Germany) stricter banking controls, and the dilution of national sovereignty. The harder they pull on the reins the more the horses want to bolt.

What leaders willfully ignore both here and in the EU is that common citizens fully realize is that they have fewer rights than do the immigrant population. Adding fuel to that fire is also knowing that it is their pockets being picked to support the influx.

Potus recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and a synagogue in Sweden get firebombed. Does anyone think the perpetrators will be arrested? Anyone? Sweden–that lovely country where even thinking anti-Islamic thoughts can get one imprisoned; where crime statistics are routinely fudged to hide the crime rate; where no-go zones have been lifted to a fine art. If there was ever a “patient zero” in the illness that affects the EU, Sweden would be it.

It doesn’t help knowing that the local cop is helpless to come to the citizen’s defense. Did anyone read about the Kate Steinle Memorial March in Portland? AntiFa protesters crossed the street and started fistfights with the Steinle marchers. The police stood by and watched. The ONLY one arrested was Joey Gibson’s bodyguard “Tiny” the loyal Samoan–and that was while he was trying to clear his eyes of the pepper spray dealt by the AntiFa.