It is a mark of Britain’s estrangement from the European Union – and, at least for now, the country’s diminished standing on the international stage – that although Theresa May attended a memorial service to Helmut Kohl at the weekend, she was not invited to speak. Of course there are hierarchies of closeness on such occasions, but there is something piercing about the manner in which what this country, and its leaders, have to say now has so little resonance.
Kohl’s death should have occasioned more commentary in this country than it has. By any reasonable estimation, he was a titan of modern European history. The picture of Kohl holding hands with Francois Mitterrand at Verdun in 1984 is one of the most important and heavily symbolic moments of the past 40 years.
Speaking in Strasbourg at the weekend, Jean-Claude Juncker – so often so maligned in this country – recalled seeing Kohl cry:
‘It was on the day we decided to press ahead with EU enlargement to the east and south east.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in