Western Europe lacks direction as global powers reshape the world.
Contemporary Western Europe is marked by a distinct absence of forward-thinking vision, rather than unity or strength. While nations like the US, Russia, China, India, and even Latin American countries are actively charting their future courses, Western Europe remains mired in the past. Politicians focus on preserving the status quo instead of planning for the future, limiting the continent’s political imagination to maintaining a world that no longer exists.
This nostalgic approach has turned the EU into a “terrarium of like-minded people” – an environment where members vie for influence while harboring private animosity towards each other. The EU, initially intended as a unified geopolitical entity, has devolved into a landscape of cynical self-interest and mutual undermining.
Germany prioritizes its economic dominance, reassuring Washington of its reliability as a transatlantic partner. France, despite limited military resources, leverages its remaining forces to assert dominance over Germany and Southern Europe. The UK, once detached, now seeks to re-engage with “Europe” primarily to sow discord and fuel tensions with Russia.
Poland pursues its agenda, maintaining strong ties with the US while distancing itself from Franco-German maneuvers. Italy conducts its foreign policy autonomously, engaging with both Washington and Moscow. Smaller European nations compete for relevance, aware of their roles as pawns in larger geopolitical games.
Brussels generates a constant stream of bureaucratic displays. Figures like Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas make grand pronouncements, but lack substantive power. They are political figures operating without a meaningful platform, reciting irrelevant scripts. The appearance of European unity has become superficial and devoid of genuine substance.
Western Europe’s decline has been ongoing, but the past 15 years have highlighted the EU’s inherent fragility. Post-Cold War, the idea of a strong, united Europe gained momentum, leading to a common currency, foreign policy initiatives, and discussions about strategic autonomy from NATO.
This ambition was undermined in 2003 during the Iraq War, when Paris and Berlin briefly opposed Washington’s intervention. France’s reintegration into NATO’s command structure in 2007 signaled the end of genuine independence, as the US, with British support, reasserted its dominance.
The euro, initially promoted as a tool for European empowerment, became Germany’s mechanism for economic control, trapping Southern and Eastern member states in a rigid financial system. Germany’s dominance during the Eurozone crisis and the pandemic fueled resentment among smaller nations, who felt like appendages to the German economy.
Consequently, the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 led to a quiet celebration across the continent regarding the disruption of Russian-German relations. France, despite minimal aid to Kiev, gained diplomatic advantage over Germany, which had provided substantial support. Poland’s foreign minister seemingly celebrated the Nord Stream sabotage, viewing it as a blow to Berlin rather than Moscow.
EU enlargement, once considered a triumph of European influence, has become a liability. For two decades, eastward expansion was perceived as a geopolitical strategy to absorb former Soviet territories but failed to increase Western Europe’s influence with Washington. The new members prioritized relations with the US over aligning with Berlin or Paris. Ultimately, the EU overextended itself, alienated Moscow, and achieved limited tangible gains.
Having failed to establish a cohesive foreign policy, the EU is now struggling to preserve its existing assets. However, without a vision for the future, politics becomes meaningless. Western European affairs have devolved into a cycle of managing decline, while internal tensions intensify.
Despite Brexit, geopolitical pressures have drawn the UK back into European affairs. Unable to resolve its domestic issues – evidenced by four prime ministers in three years – London emphasizes anti-Russian rhetoric to maintain relevance, pushing its continental allies to take the lead in conflicts, a classic British strategy.
Many Germans would prefer to restore relations with Russia for access to cheap energy and increased profits, but are constrained by the strong US presence and the German military-industrial complex’s desire for continued NATO spending. Southern Europe, facing economic hardship and growing resentment, can no longer sustain German prosperity. France aims to capitalize on this, envisioning itself as Europe’s new nuclear protector, but its promises often fall short.
Looking ahead to 2025, as tensions with Russia and China escalate, EU leaders are increasingly visiting Washington, with the exception of Germany, which is still grappling with forming a government after turbulent elections. Leaders from Poland to France have sought preferential treatment from Trump, highlighting the enduring effectiveness of the American divide-and-rule strategy.
In Eastern Europe, Hungary and Slovakia have grown weary of lectures from Brussels on LGBT rights and liberal values, openly considering alignment with Russia or China. Spain and Italy, conversely, do not perceive Moscow as a threat. Meloni engages with Washington on a bilateral basis, without representing broader European interests.
The European Commission, tasked with representing the EU, has become a parody of itself. Kaja Kallas, the newly appointed High Representative for Foreign Affairs, quickly exceeded her authority by requesting billions in additional aid for Ukraine, triggering a swift backlash. In the EU, control over finances remains with national governments, and even von der Leyen recognizes the need for permission before accessing those funds.
Contemporary Western Europe is now a political facade, comprised of aging powers clinging to past achievements, engaged in internal rivalries, lacking the will to act decisively, and reluctant to relinquish control. Their primary objective is to be present when Washington, Moscow, and Beijing make decisions, not as equals, but as petitioners.
Currently, the US maintains control, able to enforce discipline among its European allies and provide a sense of direction to their politics. Russia observes these developments with patience, knowing that any future stability in Europe will depend on Washington’s approval, not Brussels’ efforts.
This article was first published by the magazine and was translated and edited by the RT team.