European governments are in disarray. France is rolling back its biggest pension reform in years in an attempt to finally form a government. Germany’s government is also stuck arguing over pensions, and its conscription law just sank as coalition members squabbled over details. And Poland is acting shifty over the Nord Stream gas pipeline—making Germans wonder what it is hiding. Did one EU member launch a strike on another?

Yesterday’s Morning Brief contrasted Donald Trump’s peace with the time of world peace that God’s holy days point us to at this time of year. Today, all the division and wasted effort contrasts with God’s government and the unity soon coming to the Earth.

France heading for financial ruin? French President Emmanuel Macron has been forced to roll back his landmark pension reforms—his most notable achievement in office—to try to get a stable government.

France has some of the most generous pension provision in the developed world. Whereas in most countries retirement age is 66 to 67, in France it is 62, and was due to rise to 64. In reality, many in France retire earlier due to rules about career length.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has given in entirely to the socialists as he tries to assemble a government. Pension reform will now be delayed until after the 2027 presidential elections. He promised not to force a budget through using controversial constitutional provisions.

The fallout goes much further than immediate issues. Macron and others invested huge effort to pass the pension reform. If even he cannot make it stick, can France’s finances ever be brought under control?

“France continues to believe in the old ideas that are leading it to ruin,” wrote Le Figaro. “Inoculated nearly 50 years ago, the socialist poison continues to wreak havoc.”

Patrick Martin, who runs Medef, France’s biggest employer federation, warned that this would be “a terrible message to the financial markets, signaling that France is unreformable.”

France’s continual weakness is helping push the whole of Europe toward a debt crisis. The result will be a strong leader from Germany controlling the whole project.

A weak German coalition? German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius torpedoed his own bill to reintroduce conscription yesterday. Pistorius wanted to shift gently toward conscription, having all men, and any women who wanted, fill in a questionnaire assessing their fitness for military service. It was supposed to nudge young Germans toward signing up.

The Christian Democratic Union, the largest party in the coalition, is in more of a hurry. If too few people volunteered, it wanted a lottery system that could draft young men at random to make up the shortfall.

• Pistorius hated the change so much that he threatened to lead some Social Democrats to vote down his own bill.

Meanwhile, 18 Christian Democrat M.P.s have held up the government’s pension reform, arguing that Social Democrats’ reforms are too expensive.

No one is talking about the end of the coalition—yet. But in 2009, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry warned that the soon-coming strong German leader could perhaps “take advantage of a weak coalition.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is a stronger leader than his predecessor, Olaf Scholz. But this week’s news is a reminder that his power is still based on a fragile coalition. Its failings will pave the way for a new type of strongman leadership

Germany’s military expands east, invests in drones: Germany will deploy an unspecified number of Eurofighter jets to the Polish military air base in Malbork and invest €10 billion in drones, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Wednesday at a meeting of nato defense ministers in Brussels.

Pistorius noted that the additional patrol flights in Poland will make Germany “even more active, more present, and more visible on the eastern border of the alliance.”

• In August, the German Air Force deployed five Eurofighter combat aircraft to the Minsk Mazowiecki military airfield in Poland for one month.
• Germany has also provided four Eurofighter jets from the Rostock-Laage air base in Germany to participate in armed protection flights over Poland.

Regarding the drone investment, Pistorius said it will cover all types, including attack drones, and will occur in the coming years.

Meanwhile, trouble looms for German-Polish relations. Germany is seeking the extradition of a Ukrainian national in Poland, saying he helped blow up Germany’s Nord Stream pipelines with Russia. Poland is glad the pipeline is destroyed and doesn’t want to hand him over.

That pipeline was a betrayal of nato and Poland. Germany and Russia empowered each other at the expense of their neighbors. Poland may stand up to Germany on this issue; Prime Minister Donald Tusk is still considering his response.

Yet today’s news shows Poland continues to trust Germany with its defense. The late Herbert W. Armstrong warned that fear of Russia would cause Europe to unify and militarize as prophesied in Revelation 17. He wrote on Jan. 23, 1980: “What Russia is doing will be the spark to bring the heads of nations in Europe together with the Vatican to form a ‘United Nations of Europe.’” Russia’s recent aggression has greatly accelerated Europe’s efforts to militarize.

IN OTHER NEWS

Phase-two talks between Israel and Hamas have commenced in Egypt, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed today. If agreed to, this would place Gaza under the authority of an interim political body not affiliated with Hamas, as well as an international peacekeeping force. Egypt claims that a 15-member governing committee has been formed, backed by Hamas and reviewed by Israel. Regardless of how the current talks conclude, as we wrote in our October 13 Morning Brief, “Israel’s problems with the Palestinians are only getting started.”

Australia charges Sydney man for sending almost $650,000 to Iranian banks under sanctions, authorities announced today. The 34-year-old is accused of sending 543 transfers totaling $649,308 over a year. As Trumpet contributor Callum Wood recently wrote, this demonstrates how Australia has been infiltrated by Iran.

Arctic trade route: Chinese container ship Istanbul Bridge completed a journey through the Arctic Sea Route to the United Kingdom on October 13, taking just 20 days for the 7,500-nautical mile voyage. It marks the first time a container ship has transited from China via the Arctic to the UK, and the vessel will now stop in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Since a similar voyage to Europe through the Suez Canal generally takes more than twice as long, the Chinese, Russians and Europeans are working to fully establish the Arctic Sea Route. To understand the importance of this emerging route in the context of biblical prophecy, read “The Battle for the Arctic.”