Editorial
NATO Expansion vs. E. U. Expansion -
Inter-imperialist Fight for Control of Europe
Despite the results of a recent Irish referendum that overwhelmingly rejected the proposed expansion of the European Union (E.U.) to include the former people's democracies of Eastern Europe and the Balkans, E.U. officials were quick to proclaim that the vote would have no consequences to the planned expansion. They made it clear that expansion is a top priority for the E.U. and nothing will stop it.
While the European powers, especially Germany and France, are pushing forward on the expansion of the E.U. to include all of Europe, with the exception of Russia, the United States is pushing for the expansion of NATO to include all of these countries. The news media frequently presents these two processes as being complementary. In fact, they are often represented as being equivalent processes with the same goals. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, they are a reflection of the deepening contention between U.S. and German imperialism for control of Europe.
With the reunification of Germany in 1990, Germany became not only the most economically powerful state in Europe, but also the most powerful militarily. It finally had the strength required to challenge the United States for control of Europe. However, Germany had many political obstacles to overcome as a result of its history of expansionism during the 20th century. It has, therefore, been forced to manoeuvre slowly and carefully in order to allay European fears of the rise of a "Fourth Reich"and possible calls for a larger U.S. presence to protect Europe from a revanchist Germany.
Germany's first move was to revive its historic alliances in the Balkans, supporting the Croatian and Slovenian secessions from Yugoslavia in 1990. The U.S. countered by occupying Bosnia, organizing a coup in Albania and taking over that country, then engineering the Kosovo conflict to further increase its military control of the Balkans. The current developments in Macedonia and Montenegro indicate that the U.S. is continuing to develop its policy of military occupation of the Balkan region.
At the same time, the U.S. is pushing for the expansion of NATO, an organization which is little more than an extension of the U.S. armed forces. At this time, NATO is firmly under the control of the U.S.. The Americans have vigorously opposed any weakening of its role and any strengthening of an independent E.U.-led military force, such as the proposed European Rapid Deployment Force. The 1999 NATO aggression against Yugoslavia was almost entirely a U.S.-British initiative which was strongly opposed both by Germany and by France. Similarly the NATO blockade of Iraq has little support from Germany and France.
Clearly the continental European powers do not agree with the role that NATO is currently playing and its expansion is not in their interests. On the other hand, the expansion of the E.U. to the east and south is not in the economic interests of the U.S. imperialists who have an interest in frustrating those plans.
The focal point for this contention between U.S. and European (mainly German) imperialism is the Balkan region. This region has historically been of strategic military and economic importance to Europe. The region is an easily defended area in the belly of Europe. From it the entire heartland of Europe is accessible. The region also straddles an important economic trade route to the Middle East and Asia. The Danube River is a major shipping lane to Central Europe and a massive pipeline is currently being built to access the oilfields both of the Middle East and the Caucasus. Control of the region by the U.S. would allow it to use economic blackmail against Europe, and especially against Germany, in order to impose its will.
It has been reported that the U.S. is providing money, weapons and military advisors to both sides in the Macedonian conflict. It is, therefore, in a position to control the outcome of the dispute or, a far more likely scenario, to ensure that a settlement to the dispute is impossible. By prolonging the military conflict in the region the U.S. can ensure continuing justification for its military occupation of the region. A peaceful resolution of the conflict, especially under the auspices of the E.U., would eliminate any justification for U.S. troops to remain there and would shift control of the region to the Europeans. The U.S. cannot afford to let that happen.
The complexity of the situation in the Balkans and the potential that the German-U.S. contention in the region has to engulf all of Europe in an inter-imperialist war, demands a serious and dispassionate approach. Whether the U.S. or the German imperialists ultimately win control of the region, the result for the peoples of the area will be the same.
A peaceful solution demands the withdrawal of all foreign troops, an end to imperialist interference in the region and the redrawing of borders to reflect national realities. Only on that basis can a new unity of the peoples of the Balkans be forged, a unity based on respect for national self-determination, equality, fraternity and the defence of the entire region against foreign economic, political and military domination.