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Does Europe want "to remain a full-fledged player in the world"?
Since WWII and decolonization, Europeans were spectators, not key actors on the global scene.
And when, before WWII, they were dominant, they were divided, not united.
Europe as a global player never existed.
Since WWII and decolonization, Europeans were spectators, not key actors on the global scene.
And when, before WWII, they were dominant, they were divided, not united.
Europe as a global player never existed.
More cooperation betweenEuropean countries to protect their joint interests in a more competitive global environment would already be a great leap forward. But as long as France and Italy cannot even agree on Libya, and Germany and Poland on Russia, this remains a distant dream.
To be more realistic and modest about achievable goals and to put the energy in the hard work of aligning concrete policies of the big European players would do a better service to European self-assertion than grandiose, dramatic rhetoric.
There are encouraging pieces indicating that Europe can use its collective weight better: European unity on Russia sanctions; increasing alignment on China; plus the constant, daily, important work of European foreign ministries to coordinate, in various formats.
