lol, Germany and Japan might be the less influential countries in the world...
Both have rather inexistant diplomacies, Japan traditionally is a shut country wich isn't fully independent from the US geostrategically, and Germany has been threatened by words that could come out of its mouth since the end of WW2, they are the most powerful to apologize, over and over, at best (actually).
Those both merely have an economy that managed to make good exports, I'm not sure it's the same main thing we think about when it comes to 'be powerful'.
At best Germany became the center of Europe, but still they really only bother economical matters, and have given up for all the rest. And that's actually a pity, they would really have a role to play in center-eastern Europe. When those will try to make up their mind too, that gonna help...
UK never really managed to quit their role of ever puppets of the US in which they enterred at the end of WW2 too (or maybe after the Suez Canal War?).
And then who is making the geopolitical job in Europe?
The fanciest ones indeed. The FF. The Friggin French.
We have been
freaking alone in Mali.
Ok, the big part of Western Africa traditionally is part of French influence, at all levels, and the French army would definitely have the best experience to act there, both culturally and technically, and might be the only one to be able to project quick foreign interventions abroad after the US.
Heck, according to a serious French journalist who was in Washington administrations when all of this happened, Americans there were quite admirative of French operations, they would have said that US are quite unable to launch a significant ground operation under 30.000 men, which would confirm the reputation of Americans...SHOOT EVERYTHING, and then talk, or something like that.
But whatever, point being, that
no other European countries came to give a hand, even when French had taken a good enough control on the place and that our army was quite well accepted, and sometimes looked even very asked.
Oh sorry, I'm forgetting the tens of Georgians and Latvians who proposed to give a hand, maybe you should give them a place in your list...
To be fair there, our best, and strong enough, allies were Tchadian soldiers.
And same for the new operation of surveillance of that big Western part of Sahara-Sahel set by France, once again we can only count on Western African countries...
And this while what happens in Africa should be a concern for Europe as a whole.
And same for the other geopolitical aspects:
Who are the only ones to have independent military satellites in Europe?
France.
Who has offered Space to Europe and is still maintaining most of the Space installation there?
France.
Who are the only ones to have developped a fully independent nuke button?
France.
(according to what I heard UK ones are partly relying on US technologies)
Who has the biggest diplomacy in the world after the US?
You guessed it.
In short the outcome of WW2 offered a totally different paradigm than the preceding one, where the weakest one of the 'big 3' of Europe before that war became the most independent and with the most developped tools. Maybe one thing explaining the other one.
Along with the fact that historically France really is the European country of which the notion of independence and of nation state has been the most developped, even before the Révolution. Beside the Brits, but living on an island makes it particular...
.
And then you have Germany, giving insane economical lessons to everyone because of their mental blocking coming from the 1930s, and benefits of all the job made here without having to spend a lot of money.
Seems since the last govt, Germans decided to try to say a few words on the geopolitical stage, but still that's
shy. They are only realizing they are able to speak, maybe someday they will begin to make sentences. One more time, it would be welcomed. That might be one of the few good things that may come out of all that brilliant mess set on the East right now.
I'd share Fabius opinion, diplomacy and geopolitics really is the only last thing in which this country can still do something worthy.
As for Italy, I'd like to have them being able to do something, especially in the Mediterranean, but the only thing I'd could say about them would be 'lol'
.
Though they are facing an hard time, being totally abandoned by other European countries to face thousands of refugees coming since the Arab revolutions from Africa, Levant, and more. One more time no other European country, neither the EU institution is trying to give a hand there or even to try to change the totally unfair rules to manage immigration in the continent.
Some minds really need to be made up in this 'continent'...
