France and Germany's “Alliance for Multilateralism” is pure posturing.
Germany and France have recently proposed a new project to shore up international stability and security: an Alliance for Multilateralism. Floated a year ago and presented at the UN General Assembly meeting this September, it is an idea of the German foreign minister, Heiko Maas. His French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, joined the initiative, coauthoring an article last February in which the two ministers warned that the “international order is under huge pressure.” The threats are power politics, and an unwillingness to address through global cooperation challenges ranging from climate change to cyber security. This Alliance for Multilateralism would not be opposed to any particular state, and anyone can join provided they are willing to advance shared international rules of behavior. The goal is “to form intelligent networks of committed states in order to achieve maximum effectiveness through variable geometry and fluid membership.”
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