Meanwhile, France has now seen five prime ministers in just over two years. Its troubles are the same ones that broke the unwieldy coalition of Germany’s former leader Olaf Schulz, the same that Chancellor Friedrich Merz now faces and the same afflicting the British government that saw six prime ministers in 10 years and its chancellor of the exchequer
crying in parliament: Welfare, pensions, healthcare – the entitlements that once stemmed from prosperity now weigh on budgets, but woe be to any government that tries to cut them or raise taxes to fund them.
And so radical politics rise in Europe, for anger and empty stomachs push people toward flashy prophets. In France and Germany, centrist coalitions are barely holding on.
Add to this the return of Donald Trump and geopolitical brinkmanship. The United States does not want to carry Europe or the world order anymore. And we live now in an era of extremes: If you’re not a superpower, you’re not a power at all.
There’s a reason that reaction to Mr. Carney’s Davos speech was so lukewarm in some quarters of the continent. European leaders now walk on eggshells around Mr. Trump, with Germany’s Mr. Merz saying, “We know what we owe you,” to not have a public scolding for not showing gratitude, an experience now known as getting Zelensky’ed. In addition to calling Mr. Trump “daddy,” NATO’s Mr. Rutte sent him grovelling texts describing his moves on Iran as “truly extraordinary” and a “big success,” thanking him for making Europe pay more for defence.
