By Jacques Schuster (Die Welt)
Dictators, despots, tyrants, autocrats and other political gangsters tend to make fun of the European Union.
According to them, she would swear only by soft power, would be incapable of delivering decisive blows and would not have the guts to act firmly.
To read also:
Renaud Girard: "The European Union does not scare anyone!"
There is an element of truth in all of this.
Unfortunately.
But when the EU - within its means - grabs the hammer, it can also hurt a lot.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan knows all about this.
In February 2020, Erdogan was convinced that if he sent the refugees in his country to the European border, Athens and Brussels would eventually give in.
But the Greeks, supported by all other EU member states, did not allow themselves to be dismantled.
The border remained closed.
Much to Erdogan's dismay.
Miscalculation
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko could also have made a miscalculation.
The fact that his country is no longer served by airlines
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