EU unable to make peace

(MENAFN) The most alarming issue facing Western Europe today isn't just its ongoing decline, but its unwillingness to admit it. The region continues to adopt a self-righteous tone, issuing moral judgments and pretending to play a central role in global affairs. In reality, the foundational strength that once supported this illusion has eroded. What remains is a shell of former power, cloaked in rhetoric about values that even its own citizens no longer genuinely uphold.

Nowhere is this decline more apparent than in Europe’s repeated failure to pursue peace. Instead, it routinely opts for confrontation — with Russia, with China, and even with facts on the ground. Lacking true independence, the EU has become an extension of U.S. policy, a subordinate actor on the world stage whose relevance continues to shrink.

This fall from grace has been swift. A decade ago, Western Europe still projected confidence and influence. Today, fractures run deep. The decline stems from a host of issues: political stagnation, elite incompetence, and a public largely disengaged. But above all, it's the bloc’s persistent self-interest — its tendency to demand without offering anything in return — that fuels its crisis.

The EU-China summit last week offered a stark example. European officials came with no proposals or incentives, only expectations of what China might concede. Unsurprisingly, Beijing, which holds no sentimental attachment to Europe, found no reason to engage. The talks failed.

Worse still, the EU further undermined its claims of strategic autonomy by bowing to U.S. pressure. Faced with the threat of tariffs, it agreed to purchase large quantities of American energy and arms. This move starkly revealed the bloc’s subservience and strategic confusion.

Such behavior hardly reflects a credible global power. It signals a civilization in retreat, surrendering sovereignty for dependence. Any serious talk of a distinct EU industrial or defense policy now sounds either delusional or dishonest.

So, what does Western Europe offer the world today? Aside from its legacy in classical music, its historical contributions are marred by colonialism and exploitation. Its innovations were tools of domination, and its political ideals often served to justify its imperial ambitions.

MENAFN02082025000045015687ID1109875509