Berlin is expressing doubt about the European Union’s ability to withstand the rise of nationalist parties and the pressure from the Trump administration. This unprecedented skepticism in Germany has raised fears of lasting weakening, or even the gradual marginalization, of Europe as it exists today.
This is very one-sided, impatient, pessimist and reductionist.
The EU survived the exit of the UK and it will survive a possible exit of France. What it will not survive is pessimist defeatism like this, especially among elected officials, but also in the populace.
EU was able to withstand CoViD; the addition of the war against the Ukraine fueled rapid changes energy and military infrastructure almost on a pan-European scale; united, the EU was able to negotiate against the aggressive US-American trade behaviour; currently it saves Greenland from US land grab, ensuring its right to secede.
This opinion piece doesn’t show its true colors, it wants all or nothing, as if things ever worked that way.