Merkel sees the Covid crisis as an opportunity to reorganize world politics

For more than a year, the Covid pandemic has been weakening the economy and sentiment. If Chancellor Angela Merkel and other international politicians have their way, the crisis also offers a unique opportunity for world politics.

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), the French head of state Emmanuel Macron and other top international politicians have described the Covid crisis as an opportunity to reorganize world politics on the basis of multilateralism.

The crisis could be an opportunity "to regain consensus on an international order through efficient cooperation, solidarity and coordination," said a guest article by these politicians published on Wednesday for the " Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung " and other European newspapers.

The reorganization of international politics should be based on "multilateralism and the rule of law", wrote the signatories. It is not just the Covid pandemic that requires a "strong and internationally coordinated response". Lessons for possible future crises should also be drawn from the current situation. In addition, problems such as climate change can only be solved globally.

In addition to Merkel and Macron, the signatories of the contribution include UN Secretary General António Guterres, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel and Senegalese President Macky Sall.

They declared that in dealing with the numerous global challenges, multilateralism is not just "any diplomatic technique". It is based on "cooperation, the rule of law, collective action and common principles".

Instead of playing cultures and values ​​off against one another, "we have to build a more integrative multilateralism", demanded the top politicians. "In doing so, we have to respect our differences as well as our common values, which are anchored in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Source: Welt

Photo: CLEMENS BILAN / POOL