“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.”

Source: The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century (2009), p. 151

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

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George Friedman25

American businessman and political scientist 1949

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George Friedman25

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