“Our country faces huge challenges. Our future and that of our children is at stake. … In this serious situation our country needs a government that can pursue its goals with steadiness and vigor” (EUobserver.com, July 22).

Those were the words of German President Horst Köhler on national television last Thursday evening (July 21), where he announced his decision to dissolve parliament and hold elections this September—one year ahead of schedule.

This is exactly what Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was hoping for and what most analysts were predicting. Chancellor Schröder’s Social Democratic Party (spd) suffered a crushing political setback in a regional election in May: The province of North Rhine-Westphalia, once an spd stronghold, was won over by the conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union (cdu). Schröder responded by calling for early elections. Then on July 1, he lost a vote of no confidence.

In Germany, none of this is routine. Germany is in the midst of a crisis—its economy is in serious trouble, unemployment is at record levels and many people are very agitated and angry. That anger was reflected in their voting this past May. No body of voters acts more decisively in a crisis than the Germans do.

So where is all this leading?

Before this crisis ends, a new Charlemagne will get control of Germany or the European Union—or both. This leader will violently change Europe and the world, more than any man in the 21st century.

I believe the new leader of Europe will almost certainly come out of Germany. The most likely candidate will be Edmund Stoiber. Even though Angela Merkel, leader of the victorious cdu, was chosen to challenge Chancellor Schröder this fall, there is also a lot of manipulating going on behind the scenes to form political coalitions. Stoiber (who belongs to the Christian Socialists, sister party to the cdu) will only grow in power with Merkel’s likely election.

Here is why we believe Stoiber could become the new Charlemagne—regardless of the coming election.

Edmund Stoiber is the political leader of Bavaria, Germany’s oldest and largest state. He is head of the Roman Catholic Christian Social Union (csu). And he is a friend of Pope Benedict xvi. Politically, I believe that will help him immensely. He is a strong Roman Catholic, as are most Bavarians. His csu is Germany’s strongest right-wing party. Mr. Stoiber is also a friend of Austria’s extreme-right leader, Jörg Haider. One can tell a lot about a person by the friends he has.

Kate Connolly wrote Jan. 20, 2002, in the Sunday Observer: “Apart from being home to more cows, churchgoers and breweries than any other part of Germany, the southern Catholic stronghold boasts the lowest crime rate, the highest incomes and growth rates, the lowest debt and, at 5 percent, an unemployment rate around half the national average. Stoiber is a disciple of Franz Josef Strauss, the father of Bavaria’s economic success, who built close links between industry and education and invested massively in transport and infrastructure.” bbc News said Stoiber helped turn Bavaria “from a rural backwater into a high-tech hub” (Jan. 15, 2002).

Stoiber believes in a strong Germany leading Europe. He also believes in close ties with the Roman Catholic Church. The combination of Germany and the Vatican will give rise to a power to be reckoned with on the world scene.

Mr. Stoiber was personally hand-picked by Franz Josef Strauss to continue his work. Strauss was his political father. That helps us to see that Mr. Strauss was not a normal politician. How many politicians choose a loyal supporter to carry on their work after they are dead? So Mr. Stoiber was personally educated to be a brilliant leader with vision.

Strauss was the most competent German politician of his time—“the father of Bavaria’s economic success.” And he just may be the “father” of a united Europe that rules most of the Western world!

Mr. Strauss wrote a book, The Grand Design, to expound his vision for Europe. In it Strauss wrote, “An alliance of the great power of America with the great power of Europe is another matter. Both of them have an unlimited capacity for development in the economic, financial and technical spheres, and their alliance would enable Europe to return to its true historical function. Europe could again fulfill the historical role which it began to lose at the end of the First World War and which at the end of the Second World War appeared to have gone forever.”

What is Europe’s “true historical function”? It is primarily the Holy Roman Empire—the bloodiest institution this world has ever created! Is this where Europe is headed—again?

Mr. Stoiber, Strauss’s successor, had this to say about Gerhard Schröder: “All he wants is power—Schröder has no vision for Germany” (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Feb. 13, 2002). Mr. Schröder’s vision is much less focused than Stoiber’s.

Stoiber has a vision for Germany, and he plans on taking the EU with him. But where would this vision take Europe? He wants a strong federation within the EU. A powerful political government is one of his great passions.

Webster’s Dictionary defines federalism as the “establishment of a strong centralized government; to put under the authority of a federal government; specifically designating or of a union of states, groups, etc. in which each member agrees to subordinate its power to that of the central authority in common affairs” (see Revelation 17:12-13). Many authorities know that Germany will dominate the EU, guided by the Roman Catholic Church.

This is a vision that frightened Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of Britain. She warned against such an EU in 1995, which was even then dominated and at times domineered by Germany: “You have not anchored Germany to Europe; you have anchored Europe to a newly dominant, unified Germany. In the end, my friends, you’ll find it will not work” (The Downing Street Years).

The Economist of April 20, 1996, reported, “At other times Mr. Stoiber shows his training in the Strauss school of populism. He blasts at Germany’s constitutional court for telling his state that it could not oblige schools to hang crucifixes in every classroom (he seems to have found a way round that ruling and the crucifixes are still there).”

Mr. Stoiber has a powerful vision of the EU becoming another Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire’s goal has always been to rule the world. So Stoiber’s vision extends beyond Europe.

The September 1979 Plain Truth article contained some more history we must review. It was written shortly after Otto von Habsburg, the eldest son of the last Austro-Hungarian emperor, was elected “as one of West Germany’s 81 representatives to the enlarged and strengthened European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.” It explained some of the positions von Habsburg had taken: “On the United Nations, he has declared that the organization is dominated by ‘anti-European illiterates, despots and cannibals.’ …

“Possibly von Habsburg’s most controversial suggestion has been his recipe for dealing with national emergencies. In the April 1978 issue of his conservative publication Zeitbühne, he suggested that in certain emergency situations (such as nuclear blackmail or other major acts of terrorism) governments should let a strongman take over for a period of nine months, allowing him to suspend laws and ‘take all measure necessary for the maintenance of the life of the population.’

“As could be expected, vocal criticism of this one-man-rule scheme was swift in coming. …

“Interestingly, von Habsburg counts Bavarian leader Franz Josef Strauss among ‘the few full-blooded politicians’ who ‘in the case of serious national crises are able to accept responsibility because of their clear-sightedness and indomitableness.’ Von Habsburg says he is ‘personally pretty close to his [Strauss’s] ideas in many ways on the European unity subject.’ [So Strauss was also the father of many of Habsburg’s EU ideas.] …

“The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under Emperor Charles v. Chosen by electors in 1519 at the age of 20, Charles was crowned Holy Roman emperor by Pope Leo x in October 1520. He ruled until 1556 and is considered to have been the greatest monarch to bear the imperial crown since Charlemagne. He was the last emperor to vigorously attempt to realize the medieval idea of a unified empire embracing the entire Christian world. [Let the Christian and secular world beware!] …

“Christopher Hollis, in the foreword to von Habsburg’s book The Social Order of Tomorrow, points out that Otto ‘would like to see Europe resume her essential unity, and in the symbolism of that unity he thinks that the imperial crown of Charlemagne and of the Holy Roman Empire might well have its part to play.’

“Inter-European unity has long been a quest of the Habsburg dynasty. Otto himself often speaks of the similarities between the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and his view of a coming United States of Europe. In this regard, Otto has stressed the importance of religion in the formation of a united Europe. He regards Christianity as Europe’s bulwark: ‘The cross doesn’t need Europe, but Europe needs the cross.’ Last April, he was received by Pope John Paul ii, and discussed at length the subject of European integration.

“Observers of the efforts toward European unity have often noted that a lacking vital ingredient on the European scene is a charismatic leader and organizing genius—a new Charlemagne ….”

The first Charlemagne waded through a sea of blood to win converts to Catholicism and expand the Holy Roman Empire. But this history is almost never mentioned.

Just who will the new Charlemagne be? The Bible defines him in shocking detail. Is the world about to be introduced to this man?

The developing superpower of the EU is led by Germany. Winston Churchill wanted a united states of Europe led by Britain. He said, “[I]t should be built by the English; if the Russians built it there would be communism and squalor; if the Germans built it there would be tyranny and brute force” (Martin Gilbert, The Churchill War Papers, Volume 3).

Whether we like it or not, the EU is being built by Germany. If Churchill was right, we can expect “tyranny and brute force.” Both Churchill and Thatcher were right. Most people don’t see it yet, but they will quite soon.

The Germans yearn for a strong leader, especially in this age of terrorism and many other dangers. I believe most German leaders think more like Stoiber than Schröder. Even the German people like his policies better. That could make it easier for Stoiber (or conceivably someone else) to maneuver behind the scenes.

Regardless, some leader is going to hijack the EU! The person who leads Germany will also lead Europe. Germany already domineers Europe to a degree that is shameful, if you consider its past. Remember, it started both world wars—in which 50 to 60 million people were killed. Nobody should forget or ignore that past—including the German people! If we don’t learn from the past, we are condemned to repeat it.

Hitler did some behind-the-scenes manipulating to come to power. That method has worked well in German history, and it will work again for the new Charlemagne.

Herbert W. Armstrong prophesied of Germany’s rise to frightening power again, even when it was beaten into rubble at the end of World War ii. This time it will be far more powerful than it was in the Second World War. Since Mr. Armstrong’s death, this magazine has continued to prophesy of Germany’s rise to unprecedented power. Germany is the number-one political power we need to watch.

But we need to understand why Germany and Europe are rising in power. God is going to use them to punish the very sinful nations of America, Britain and Israel—unless we repent of our sins! (Isaiah 10:5-6).

We are facing the most terrifying times ever on Earth. Our number-one question is that of human survival. We must wake up and beseech our loving God for help. There is no other hope.