German Chancellor Angela Merkel has a unique style of leadership. Only about a year back, she was advocating restraint when everyone else was adopting expansionary policies. Leading world leaders through the Brandenburg Gate on 9th November, 2009, at the climax of ceremonies marking 20 years since the Berlin Wall came crashing down in 1989, she decided to say something different from the script by targeting the United States for its unilateralism.
In an unusually sharp criticism of Washington, Merkel called upon the United States to cede some of its powers to international organisations to create a new "world order". According to the German Chancellor, "we Europeans are used to this...... We have voluntarily given up many of our powers to Brussels and to the European Union.
But our American friends find it much more difficult to hand over powers to the International Monetary Fund, or to any other international organisation." Pressing her point further, she remarked that within the EU, Germany had become used to accepting the will of the majority, even if it did not agree, but this had not yet lodged itself in the American psyche. This world would be much more peaceful if we had a better world order and more multilateral co-operation.
What could be the reason or motive for the Chancellor's outburst against a uni-polar world, dominated by the United States, is difficult to guess but it must have greatly disturbed US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton who was representing her country at the ceremonies. Some of the analysts may attribute her tirade to a recent trip to Washington where Angela Merkel received one of her greatest honours and biggest embarrassments in the space of few hours.
She was the first German leader to address a joint session of the Congress but, soon afterwards, learnt of an abrupt about-turn by General Motors to sell Germany's Opel to her preferred bidder. Washington had clarified that the White House had played no part in the decision, but the German Press had described it as a bitter slap in the face for the Chancellor.
Anyhow, Merkel's advice to the US to cast aside unilateralism and adopt a multi-polar vision is morally justified and very much in line with the aspirations of the great majority of the world population. In fact, the developing countries and some brave and noble souls, on an individual basis, have all along been advocating such an approach for giving an equal voice in the decision-making process of world bodies.
However, as it is, and notwithstanding our dislike, the world order is highly tilted in favour of the developed countries, especially the US. The quotes and voting power in multilateral organisations, like the International Monetary Fund, are so manipulated that no major decision can be made without a positive nod from the Executive Directors representing the United States.
In this context, it may be pointed out that our planet has never been an utopia where nations and individuals are ranked equally. Raw power has always reigned over rationality or reasoning, though the US case is slightly different because its predominance in world affairs is also derived from its economic strength and its financial contribution to the world organisations in running their operations.
Coming to the economic and political integration of Europe, as highlighted by Merkel, the position of the European countries and the US is entirely different so far as their unification and harmonisation of policies is concerned. Whereas the economies of Europe are highly complementary, and in certain ways inter-dependent, and their unilateralism could cost a great deal, US has no such compulsion because its economy could survive on its own, though its potential to grow could suffer a setback.
Therefore, while it may be a good idea to remind the US of its responsibilities and moral obligations at various forums, it also needs to be understood that there is always going to be asymmetry and a kind of unilateralism in the behaviour of various countries, depending on their power to influence world events at different times in world history. Greater respect to China and India in the conduct of world affairs in the recent period is a clear manifestation of an undeniable link between the basic strength of a country and its clout in shaping the global, political and economic order.