A new world is beginning! Are we prepared? Do not just read the headline!
1. The Axis of Evil:
Improperly said, it was born. It had been in the making for some time. A few years ago, I was also talking about the Russia-China-North Korea-Iran as the Axis of Evil. Many, many years ago, serious and respectable analysts were pointing to such a future. That future is now beginning. In Beijing, in addition to the military parade that sought to showcase the scale, range, and modernity of the PLA (People's Liberation Army—i.e., the Chinese Army), China wanted to show something else:
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1. The Axis of Evil:
Improperly said, it was born. It had been in the making for some time. A few years ago, I was also talking about the Russia-China-North Korea-Iran as the Axis of Evil. Many, many years ago, serious and respectable analysts were pointing to such a future. That future is now beginning. In Beijing, in addition to the military parade that sought to showcase the scale, range, and modernity of the PLA (People's Liberation Army—i.e., the Chinese Army), China wanted to show something else:
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That it is the center of a new political, social, and economic construct that will shape the global future. And it succeeded in doing so. It succeeded in making Kim Jong-Un's diplomatic debut on the international stage, with the North Korean dictator attending such an important event for the first time, having previously only made appearances for bilateral meetings with Xi Jinping, Putin, or Trump.
In the family photo, as the photo where the guests stand on a stepped podium and sit next to each other is called, we also have two former prime ministers of Romania: Adrian Năstase and Viorica Dăncilă. In the bottom row, we have Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin—a war criminal, Kim Jong Un—another bloody criminal, this time only of his own people, and other leaders from Africa and Asia. Europe was represented by Slovakia and Serbia. Another dictator, Erdogan, could not be missing from such an event. The devil is in the details, of course. This bloc is not equal, uniform, or perfectly coordinated either. russia, for example, is a poor vassal to China, doing its dirty work in Ukraine, because it keeps an important part of the Western bloc occupied and stuck in endless bureaucracy and the indecision of weak leaders.
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In the family photo, as the photo where the guests stand on a stepped podium and sit next to each other is called, we also have two former prime ministers of Romania: Adrian Năstase and Viorica Dăncilă. In the bottom row, we have Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin—a war criminal, Kim Jong Un—another bloody criminal, this time only of his own people, and other leaders from Africa and Asia. Europe was represented by Slovakia and Serbia. Another dictator, Erdogan, could not be missing from such an event. The devil is in the details, of course. This bloc is not equal, uniform, or perfectly coordinated either. russia, for example, is a poor vassal to China, doing its dirty work in Ukraine, because it keeps an important part of the Western bloc occupied and stuck in endless bureaucracy and the indecision of weak leaders.
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2. The axis of decline:
Trump has already changed the pH of the United States. At least in terms of foreign policy. But he has also accelerated the erosion of the internal social fabric. The US is a hegemon in moral and cultural decline, unfortunately for all of us who grew up with the image of America as the world's policeman.
Europe, poisoned by russia's hybrid war, is failing to make the leap towards its only salvation: a much better defined form of union of states: the United States of Europe. It is the only long-term salvation. It is not possible for obvious reasons (different cultures, historical wounds that have not yet healed, and the multiple problems of operationalizing such a plan). It is pointless for Mertz to say that "Putin is the greatest war criminal" as long as Slovakia is in the picture meeting with him, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un. It is pointless for Ursula von Der Leyen to talk about common defense if the toxic nationalism fed by Russia divides us more and more every day.
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Trump has already changed the pH of the United States. At least in terms of foreign policy. But he has also accelerated the erosion of the internal social fabric. The US is a hegemon in moral and cultural decline, unfortunately for all of us who grew up with the image of America as the world's policeman.
Europe, poisoned by russia's hybrid war, is failing to make the leap towards its only salvation: a much better defined form of union of states: the United States of Europe. It is the only long-term salvation. It is not possible for obvious reasons (different cultures, historical wounds that have not yet healed, and the multiple problems of operationalizing such a plan). It is pointless for Mertz to say that "Putin is the greatest war criminal" as long as Slovakia is in the picture meeting with him, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un. It is pointless for Ursula von Der Leyen to talk about common defense if the toxic nationalism fed by Russia divides us more and more every day.
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Macron, Mertz, and Starmer are holding another meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, in reality the Coalition of the Failing, where I sincerely believe they are trying to do more for Ukraine, but they are powerless. Europe, like the US, is under constant assault from Russia's hybrid warfare, and both Western blocs are in disarray.
Ukraine has bought us time. It has paid for this time with the blood of tens of thousands of civilians and tens of thousands of soldiers, all killed by the war machine of the criminal Putin. For this alone, they deserve to be admitted tomorrow (I know this is not possible, but you surely understand what I mean) into the European Union and integrated directly into the common security system.
What have we Europeans done with this time? Well, we thought it was business as usual, even though the writing on the wall clearly indicated a global paradigm shift.
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Ukraine has bought us time. It has paid for this time with the blood of tens of thousands of civilians and tens of thousands of soldiers, all killed by the war machine of the criminal Putin. For this alone, they deserve to be admitted tomorrow (I know this is not possible, but you surely understand what I mean) into the European Union and integrated directly into the common security system.
What have we Europeans done with this time? Well, we thought it was business as usual, even though the writing on the wall clearly indicated a global paradigm shift.
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I am not writing these lines to panic anyone, but because the signs are there. We see them in images. In diplomacy, symbolism and image are essential. If Xi wanted to show himself with authoritarian leaders, war criminals, and dictators to demonstrate that this is the new bloc that wants to be hegemonic. We see them in trade relations. We see them in bilateral meetings. We see them when Modi takes Putin by the hand, like a lover, in the halls of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Everyone ignores them at their own risk. And if you ask me what to do, since we are too small for a dark future led by evil people, I would say that everyone must do their job as citizens. They must pull the individuals in power by the sleeve, so that we can overcome this crisis and win the battle against hybrid warfare in 2028. Just as Moldova must do this month. Just as Hungary will probably do in 2026 (go Peter Magyar!). Just as Slovakia should do in 2027. Every country must do its part at home so that Europe's leaders have something to work with going forward.
This requires everyone's involvement. We are living in exceptional times, not normal ones. I hope that is clear. And in exceptional times, civic effort must be equally exceptional. /end
I am not writing these lines to panic anyone, but because the signs are there. We see them in images. In diplomacy, symbolism and image are essential. If Xi wanted to show himself with authoritarian leaders, war criminals, and dictators to demonstrate that this is the new bloc that wants to be hegemonic. We see them in trade relations. We see them in bilateral meetings. We see them when Modi takes Putin by the hand, like a lover, in the halls of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Everyone ignores them at their own risk. And if you ask me what to do, since we are too small for a dark future led by evil people, I would say that everyone must do their job as citizens. They must pull the individuals in power by the sleeve, so that we can overcome this crisis and win the battle against hybrid warfare in 2028. Just as Moldova must do this month. Just as Hungary will probably do in 2026 (go Peter Magyar!). Just as Slovakia should do in 2027. Every country must do its part at home so that Europe's leaders have something to work with going forward.
This requires everyone's involvement. We are living in exceptional times, not normal ones. I hope that is clear. And in exceptional times, civic effort must be equally exceptional. /end
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