Sick Europe |
Europe is no longer a fully sovereign partner in the international order. Nor does it pose a real threat. Instead, it has become a suspended political entity, living off the memory of power rather than reality, and negotiating from a position of fear rather than parity.
Since the tax agreement with the United States — which Emmanuel Macron described as ‘Europe’s dark day’ — it has been clear that the European Union has entered a new phase of declared weakness. This weakness is no longer hidden behind diplomatic language or buried in joint statements; it is displayed openly in images, forced smiles and raised thumbs.
At the Turnberry Golf Course, Ursula von der Leyen stood smiling beside Donald Trump, her thumb raised. Europe had just accepted — without any real negotiation — a 15 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States. This was not an agreement. It was economic submission under security pressure. It was precisely here that the idea of ‘European soft power’ collapsed. Europe shifted from being a negotiating player to becoming a party fearful of losing protection.
Europe’s concerns were not purely economic. It was primarily security-driven. Fearing that a Trump administration might reduce its defensive commitments if Brussels escalated the trade dispute, the EU was forced to retreat. The trade deal was held hostage by the military umbrella. Economic sovereignty became hostage to the airbase. Thus, security weakness cancelled out commercial strength. One weakness gave rise to another.
When the new US national security strategy was published, Europe was not treated as a strategic partner. Instead, it was viewed as a patient displaying multiple symptoms: declining freedoms, suppression of opposition, an identity crisis, collapsing confidence and the rise of populist disorder. This is not the language of an alliance. It is a medical report.
German Chancellor........