--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is that we have long had a…" description: "\"The truth is that we have long had a multi-track Europe with very different objectives. The traditional differences between the north and the south in ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/sigmar-gabriel-14684_chinese_the-truth-is-that-we-have-long-had-a-mul_281856.jpg" --- # The truth is that we have long had a multi-track Europe… ![“The truth is that we have long had a multi-track Europe with very different objectives. The traditional differences between the north and the south in fiscal and economic policy are far less problematic than those that exist between Eastern and Western Europe. In the south and east, China is…” quote by Sigmar Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/sigmar-gabriel-14684_chinese_the-truth-is-that-we-have-long-had-a-mul_281856.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/sigmar-gabriel-14684_chinese_the-truth-is-that-we-have-long-had-a-mul_281856.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/sigmar-gabriel-14684_chinese_the-truth-is-that-we-have-long-had-a-mul_281856.jpg) > “The truth is that we have long had a multi-track Europe with very different objectives. The traditional differences between the north and the south in fiscal and economic policy are far less problematic than those that exist between Eastern and Western Europe. In the south and east, China is steadily gaining more influence, such that a few EU member states no longer dare to make decisions that run counter to Chinese interests. You see it everywhere: China is the only country in the world that has a real geopolitical strategy.” [Sigmar Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmar-gabriel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Europe faces internal divisions, with Eastern and Southern members increasingly aligning with China, challenging unified policy and strategic autonomy. **In simple terms:** Europe is split, with some countries following China, weakening EU unity. Key Takeaway Address divergent interests and strengthen EU cohesion. Themes politics geopolitics EU China policy strategy Mood concerned analytical Type political strategic When to use this quote - EU negotiations - foreign policy decisions - trade agreements - energy projects Key Concepts regionalism influence strategic autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What steps can the EU take to maintain autonomy? - How can member states reconcile differing priorities? A Different Perspective Balancing national interests with collective goals is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I have this fantasy that in future negotiations over climate change - instead of going into that room and saying, 'I'm defending Chinese interests,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-christian/i-have-this-fantasy-that-in-future-negotiations-over-climate-change/) [David Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-christian/) > [I am sure that it wouldn’t be in the long-term interests of China which would continue to depend on these African resources for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/i-am-sure-that-it-wouldn-t-be-in-the-long-term-interests-of-china/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [The aim of the Revolution is, so far as the interests of China herself are concerned, the restoration of her original frontiers and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/the-aim-of-the-revolution-is-so-far-as-the-interests-of-china-herself/) [Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/) > [In dealing with the China problem, the British and American side, which had particularly strong interests in China, should have based its judgments about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/in-dealing-with-the-china-problem-the-british-and-american-side-which/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [China surely must be interested in a more stable, non-antagonistic relationship with the African continent precisely because of its own needs. 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