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McAllister, the former Minister President of the Federal State of Lower Saxony till 2014, is presently vice chairman of the European EVP (European People’s party) in the European parliament as well as chairman of the EVP legislative committee of the European Parliament and the US Congress. He presented a quite sober overview concerning the present debate within the EU, in light of the refugee crisis, which also was addressed publically by the President of the EU Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, during a conference in Passau, as well as describing the present status of EU/US relations.

there is a major unease among many German citizens about TTIP

Despite a massive propaganda in Germany and Europe to quickly conclude the transatlantic free trade treaty “TTIP”, there is a major unease among many German citizens about this treaty, which as Mc Allister underlined, almost plays no role in the Eastern European countries’ debate. The lack of transparency of the TTIP negotiations, the concern about data security, as the protest demonstration illustrated in Berlin on the 10th of August, has revealed that there is a particular polarization about TTIP within German society. According to McAllister, who sees this as sign of anti –globalization and anti -America mood, the “window of opportunity” to finalize the TTIP negotiations is relatively small and will only last till spring next year. 2016 is the year of presidential elections in the US, followed by presidential elections in France and Federal parliamentary elections in Germany, in the year 2017.

There was a lively discussion which followed Mc Allister’s presentation. It made clear that among many senior strategic observers there is a certain unease about the way in which the German Government is handling the refugee crisis. They see this as a potential “detonator” for the EU unless quick corrections are being made in the field of foreign diplomacy, security and the EU economy.

We are to blame for Moscow’s reaction formation in the Middle East

Exemplary are the contributions which were made by several senior discussants- among them a former Assistant State Secretary who referred to President Gauck’s recent visit in the US where Gauck had urged the US government to show more solidarity and help the EU in the refugee question. The US having started  many wars in the Mideast since 2001 according to the observer, has left behind a region in chaos, including several failed states (like Libya and Syria ) out of which Millions of refugees are fleeing right now.

Our attitude concerning the Ukraine and Crimean crisis, as well as our harsh sanctions have provoked strong reactions in Moscow

Another senior strategic observer and former State Secretary, who is well experienced in the handling of East and West relations, expressed his concern about the way in which the present Government under Chancellor Merkel is handling the refugee crisis. The German government, he stated, is essentially paying the price for what he called a “failed policy” vis a vis Russia, the most fatal consequences of which can be seen in the actual Mideast situation (Syria and Russia’s military intervention). “Our attitude concerning the Ukraine and Crimean crisis, as well as our harsh sanctions have provoked strong reactions in Moscow. We shouldn’t think that the Russians are so naive. What the Russians are now showing is a ‘reaction formation’ a revenge mood which can be witnessed both in military and political elite circles”, the observer stated, underlining that this reaction formation will continue “as long as we uphold sanctions and our Ukraine policy.”

In respect to the present refugee crisis he addressed himself to Berlin and Brussels, by rhetorically asking whether these governments “are conscious about the consequences, of their actual policy, which till the end of this year will have produced an influx of more than 1 Million refugees into Germany, followed in the next years by an even higher number of refugees, up to 5 Million.” This, he said would completely destabilize the situation in Germany and provoke chaos.

Another senior discussant and military expert made reference to the recent investigation report concerning the crash of the Malaysian airline MH17 (July 2014) over Ukraine territory; a crash which, as he put it, despite no evidence presented, prompted the EU to impose harsh sanctions against Russians with extremely negative consequences. Why is it, he asked that up to this day the US has not presented any evidence provided by Satellites to bring light into the fatal crash.