18 July 2015   Leave a comment

Spiegel conducted an interview with the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble.  Schäuble offers a very specific and precise defense of the bailout deal offered to Greece–his answers are not at all defensive.  When asked about the charges made against Germany because of its exercise of power, he simply says:

“There is no German dominance. Germany is in a good position economically, that is undeniable. But in contrast to France and Great Britain, Germany is not a member of the United Nations Security Council. For that reason alone, you cannot talk about being in a position of political supremacy. Still, the balance in Europe has shifted since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Baltic countries, Slovakia and Slovenia also now speak up when they don’t like the positions taken by others.”

His self-assuredness is palpable in the interview, perhaps no small part of the explanation for the feelings of domination expressed by some within Europe.

The Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, reopened after being refurbished from the damage inflicted by al Shabab extremists in September 2013.  The attack was a devastating blow to Kenya, and was in response to Kenyan efforts to limit the influence of the extremists in East Africa.   The situation between Kenya and the extremists, who are based in Somalia, has festered for many years, and the attacks have continued.  The reopening of the mall is an important psychological  step forward for Kenyan.

Posted July 19, 2015 by vferraro1971 in World Politics

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