Von der Leyen's goal, Trump's victory

Several newspapers today reported on their front pages the European Commission's request that citizens stock up on food, water, and the necessary supplies to survive for seventy-two hours in the event of a catastrophe or armed incursion. Keep quiet, perhaps it's because Putin's 10,000 Process soldiers are finally arriving. Without denying the concern generated by current Russia—but also by Israel, yet no one is talking about rearming against them, because it seems we are brothers with the Poles and Finns, but not with the Palestinians—the announcement promoted by Ursula von der Leyen clearly falls within the shock doctrine.Brilliantly embodied by Naomi Klein. To justify rearmament that could leave states without resources to improve issues like healthcare or education, you have to instill fear, and an official recommendation to prepare for a three-day entrenchment is a fantastic way to instill that terror with an apocalyptic air. The headline made a fortune and demonstrates the goalscoring ability of the center forward who presides over the Commission in the battle for the narrative.

However, the victory is not so much hers as Florentino Pérez, who is looking on with satisfaction from the sidelines, who in this case is Donald Trump. He is the one who weakens Europe economically. He is also the one who destabilizes the region by giving fuel to far-right parties and their militaristic rhetoric, often associated with a curtailment of civil rights. And his is the country that will end up selling the bulk of the weapons purchased by the EU. Given this prospect, the press must obviously report von der Leyen's announcements, because they are news, but they must be extremely vigilant when buying into catastrophic narratives and demand that they be based on tangible threats.