Gunnar Jonsson: Macron preaches a strange kind of liberalism for Europe

Trump barking at US allies. China is rising at the eastern horizon. Russia, well, is where it is located. Brexit can stop anyway. The EU elections in may is approaching and there are all sorts of reasons for the union to think about its future.

that nothing is getting by in Europe if not the German-French engine spinner harmoniously. Thus, it should be hazard on the fourth, when Berlin and Paris so clearly and publicly did not share the vision. But is it so bad?

President Emmanuel Macron has previously put out about how the euro should be linked closer: fiscal union, their own minister of finance, the joint budget of the equivalent of several percent of gdp. Germany's reaction was to return to the surkålen: no to a transfer union in which the countries (and especially germans) to take responsibility for everyone's debts. And grandiose supranational budget you can also forget.

Macros like in the traditional French style of making the EU a project that caters to the French presidents of the interests. AAC does not want to do much at all with Europe.

Last week was the Macron in time again. Major reforms with the state in the lead must be bums, a deepening of the european union to be born that will protect people, sam and company – on the nationalists and populisternas onslaught halted.

(AAC), the christian democratic CDU's fresh president, and Angela Merkel's intended successor as chancellor. With the conciliatory voice solid, she most of the Macrons invention, for the european centralism and state control of the economy is a road down in the ditch. And if the French want to be a bit radical, they can start by releasing the EUROPEAN parliament's unnecessary andrasäte in Strasbourg.

Both deserve their taunts. Macron wants to in the traditional French style of making the EU a project that caters to the French presidents of the interests. AAC does not want to do much at all with Europe, because the status quo serves Germany well.

some sense in France, as to break up the rigid labour market. But it is a strange kind of liberalism that is supposed to save Europe. Most of it smells of protectionism and a preference for state over private business. Buy european, reads the banner, and start a bunch of new EU authorities.

European minimum income and cross-border welfare systems, like Macron have. Oh no, says the AAC, and Stefan Löfven had not been able to formulate it better.

That the EU should safeguard the external border, it think both Macron and AAC. The president wants to in addition, in the belated enthusiasm of the common policy on asylum, close Schengenunionen for flyktingvägrande countries such as Hungary. AAC like a european immigration policy, but think that the hungarians can contribute positively to the EU in other ways (unclear which).

is that it is so diffuse. Not even at home, she has any thought on how the necessary investments in the infrastructure and defense to come about. A european aircraft carrier sounds concrete, but is rather unrealistic. She is an extension of the Merkel, the champion of avoiding to lay down a course.

the Macrons federalism is misguided. Europe's voters are not overly supranational metamorphosis. Even if the citizens of the EU at the moment are quite satisfied with their union indicates nothing on that they want to send more power to Brussels (or Paris) at the nation's expense. The risk is that power is perceived to be more distant, and that it is contrary to the Macrons intentions of increasing nationalism and populism.

but not all. To make the internal market work better, so that more growth and more jobs, is a wise priority.

to the North and the south in EUROPE is often different, as well as the west and the east. However, it is alarmism to be intimidated by the German-French disunity. It is good that the countries are discussing, and that it is done openly so that all get a chance to listen. The old tandemcykeln is still no longer the obvious vehicle to push the EU more than two dozen member states. It also applies to those who did not like the Italian or the Polish governments.