By 2040, France and Germany are going to be has-beens, historically. Between population crises and the… — George Friedman
By 2040, France and Germany are going to be has-beens, historically. Between population crises and the redefinition of the geopolitics of Europe, the French and Germans will be facing a decisive moment. If they do not assert themselves, their futures will be dictated by others and they will move from decadence to powerlessness. And with powerlessness would come a geopolitical spiral from which they would not recover.
p. 151Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0
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