"Europe and the US, together, [gave us] the concept of the West. Once, the West claimed to be strong enough to defend its values. Its ambitions so far remain unchanged, but there is already no power to fulfill them,"Lehming said.
He specifically attributed the fading clout of the West to its "escape from responsibility." As an example, he singled out German Chancellor Angela Merkel's botched policy with regard to refugees.
He recalled that Merkel decided to give the go-ahead for receiving more than a million migrants all by herself, without discussing it with her European partners. Later, Merkel pledged that "we can manage it," thus actually making German citizens responsible for the problem, according to Lehming.
He said that "the split of European unity" could also be seen during the financial crisis in Greece, when France and Germany failed to arrive at a consensus on the matter.
In addition, US presidential candidate Donald Trump's aggressive rhetoric irritates Europeans because it reflects all their prejudices against the Americans, Lehming said.
"A curious drama is in the air: Europe and America are walking side by side, but each has its own fundamental idea of the future," he pointed out.
However, despite widespread opposition among Germans and a number of their elected officials, Merkel has refused to close the country's borders and set a limit on the number of migrants.
