UK-France-Germany Joint Statement On Trump's Iran Idiocy

(This photo of Merkel, May, and Macron from cnbc.com is by Dan Kitwood / Getty Images.)

Trump did it. He announced last Tuesday that he would violate the Iran Agreement by refusing to abide by its terms, and would reimpose strict economic sanctions of Iran. Fortunately, other Western leaders are not as stupid as Trump. Here is the joint statement issued by Theresa May of the United Kingdom, Emmanuel Macron of France, and Angela Merkel of Germany:

It is with regret and concern that we, the Leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom take note of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Together, we emphasise our continuing commitment to the JCPoA. This agreement remains important for our shared security. We recall that the JCPoA was unanimously endorsed by the UN Security Council in resolution 2231. This resolution remains the binding international legal framework for the resolution of the dispute about the Iranian nuclear programme. We urge all sides to remain committed to its full implementation and to act in a spirit of responsibility.

According to the IAEA, Iran continues to abide by the restrictions set out by the JCPoA, in line with its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The world is a safer place as a result. Therefore we, the E3, will remain parties to the JCPoA. Our governments remain committed to ensuring the agreement is upheld, and will work with all the remaining parties to the deal to ensure this remains the case including through ensuring the continuing economic benefits to the Iranian people that are linked to the agreement.

We urge the US to ensure that the structures of the JCPoA can remain intact, and to avoid taking action which obstructs its full implementation by all other parties to the deal. After engaging with the US Administration in a thorough manner over the past months, we call on the US to do everything possible to preserve the gains for nuclear non-proliferation brought about by the JCPoA, by allowing for a continued enforcement of its main elements.

We encourage Iran to show restraint in response to the decision by the US; Iran must continue to meet its own obligations under the deal, cooperating fully and in a timely manner with IAEA inspection requirements. The IAEA must be able to continue to carry out its long-term verification and monitoring programme without restriction or hindrance. In turn, Iran should continue to receive the sanctions relief it is entitled to whilst it remains in compliance with the terms of the deal.

There must be no doubt: Iran’s nuclear program must always remain peaceful and civilian. While taking the JCPOA as a base, we also agree that other major issues of concern need to be addressed. A long-term framework for Iran’s nuclear programme after some of the provisions of the JCPOA expire, after 2025, will have to be defined. Because our commitment to the security of our allies and partners in the region is unwavering, we must also address in a meaningful way shared concerns about Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its destabilising regional activities, especially in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. We have already started constructive and mutually beneficial discussions on these issues, and the E3 is committed to continuing them with key partners and concerned states across the region.

We and our Foreign Ministers will reach out to all parties to the JCPoA to seek a positive way forward.

Residents Of G-20 Countries Trust Merkel More Than Trump

This chart reflects the results of the Spring global survey done by the Pew Research Center. It shows what the residents of the G-20 nations think about Donald Trump and Angela Merkel -- and which they would trust more to do the right thing regarding world affairs.

In the past, most of these nations would trust the U.S. president over other world leaders. That is no longer true. Now, in 14 of the 17 nations queried, the residents would trust Germany's Angela Merkel over Donald Trump to do the right thing. Only Russia and India would trust Trump more -- while South Africa is split between trusting Trump and Merkel.

Trump is not even trusted more than Merkel in the United States. About 56% in the U.S. would trust Merkel to do the right thing, while only 46% would Trust Trump to do the right thing -- a substantial 10 point advantage for Merkel.

Another Vote Against European Austerity

Just a few days ago, the French people booted conservative Nicolas Sarkozy out of office and replaced him with an anti-austerity candidate. On that same day, the Greek people voted against their own austerity government. These moves followed the recent downfall of the Dutch conservative government (who were also touting an austerity budget). All over Europe, it seems the people are rejecting the failed policy of austerity (which has thrown several European countries deeper into recession).

Now there is evidence that the anti-austerity movement has even reach the 600-pound gorilla of the European Union -- Germany, where conservative leader Angela Merkel (pictured above) has been one of the strongest proponents of austerity. Last week, in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, the governing conservative coalition of Christian Democrats (Merkel's party) and Free Democrats were ousted. This week that was repeated in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

North Rhine-Westphalia is important because it is Germany's most populous state (containing more than a fifth of the country's population). It is also the state that launched Merkel into power in 2005 by giving her Christian Democrats more than 45% of the vote. But this week the party was only able to get 25.8% of the vote. They will now be replaced by a moderate-left coalition composed of Social Democrats (with 38.8% of the vote) and the Green Party (with 11.9% of the vote).

These two German states have now joined 2 or 3 other states, who also booted out the conservatives last year. It seems that the anti-austerity feeling is growing in Germany, even though that country is in better economic shape than most European nations. That is bad news for Merkel (one of the principal architects of the austerity policy), who must run for re-election next year. The odds are now very much against Merkel's election to a third term.

The Europeans are starting to realize they have been hoodwinked by the conservatives and their austerity policy -- a policy that favors the rich and hurts everyone else. Hopefully, that anti-austerity feeling can cross the ocean and find a home in this country. The Republican Party is trying to impose their own version of the failed austerity policy in the United States -- and it will be just as disastrous here as it has been in Europe. They must be stopped before they turn the current recession into a long-lasting depression.