Europe lost its assurance already around 2016, which at the time seemed a nightmare, and from today's position looks rather idyllic. It was then that something that, according to the old order rules, was not allowed to happen: Donald Trump first became president of the United States and the British decided to leave the European Union. This was expected to be a sobering moment, unfortunately Europe had adequate energy to assertively negociate the terms of the brexit and wait out Trump's first term, pacified by the American deep state (translated deep state).
Only a fewer years later, a pandemic broke out, which showed Europeans that offshoring production of key goods can and is financially beneficial, but only in times of prosperity. The pandemic and its subsequent supply crisis were intended to be an chance to leave the EU's archaic fiscal rules, but again the strength was adequate to launch only 1 major financial mechanism, the National Reconstruction Plans, from which payouts depend on the fulfilment of tens of carefully assessed milestones. The Law and Justice Government has flawed the justice system, so the European Commission has stopped us money to modernise the wellness system, further digitize the country, transform energy and make collective communication.
Then the future war and the resulting energy crisis, which was already to be a "Hamilton moment" for Europe, but panic over purchases of weapons from outside the EU – in the US or South Korea – were left out of the announced joint arms investments. Even as apparent as the joint purchases of gas managed to be pushed only in the version for the willing, and we received little than EUR 150 million for the admission of 1.5 million war refugees from Ukraine, a fewer 100 times little than the Erasmus budget (EUR 28 billion from 2021 to 1927), which finances half-year trips of European students to universities in another countries.
Eye for an eye, euro for a euro
"If a fewer 100 dollars spent on digital advertising from abroad is able to destruct your democracy, it means that it was never besides strong," J.D. Vance said in Munich, referring to the Romanian court's curiosity decision to cancel the first circular of presidential elections.
Vance’s individual issues were not the most important. The point is that the overall transmission of his speech is mostly correct and can be summarised by a short quote from his speech in Bavarian capital: ‘How can we start considering budgetary issues if we are not clear about what we are actually defending?’
It is not that Europe has not found an thought for itself. Climate policy, inclusiveness, broadly understood egalitarianism, diplomatic soft power, the commercial power, equalising the differences between the regions of the continent – each of these issues not only can be defended, but is besides worth defending. The problem is that Europeans themselves are not convinced.
When we joined the EU together with almost the full region, Europe was on the wave, and subsequent mass accessions seemed a substance of time – the Balkans, the Caucasus, along the way may besides be Ukraine, with which we had only 13 years ago organised football Euros, and in any time, who knows if Kazakhstan is not.
Unfortunately, since the economical crisis of 2008, which has devastated confederate Europe, the European Union has been in constant defensive positions. alternatively of developing and beginning – it mainly wraps and closes.
It was then that the EU rules ceased to appear as a pattern worth pursuing, and began to be treated like a whip in the hands of a strict overseer. The common rules, designed to make a framework for further integration and structure of EU development, have become more hostile than the Hammurabi Code. An eye for an eye, a euro for a euro. They were no longer to be respected for the benefit of the full community, but for the sake of their adherence, even if it led to real-time tragedies from which the Iberian Peninsula came out for years, and Greece did not leave until today. Why? Because. This was more or little the argument of European elites, who without pity pushed further peoples of the continent into the dirt – not only the countries of confederate Europe, but besides Ireland and Latvia were the victims.
Program laicka The European Union began to match a nun sister from a Catholic boarding school, who during the day twists his ears and beats the line on his feet and at night checks who sleeps besides loudly.
- Enough, son, with the loud roll-over! The others can't sleep due to you!
– Please, sisters, but the others woke up due to the fact that the sister started screaming.
– Oh, no, boy, first you were besides loud to turn sideways! Can't you lie inactive while you sleep?
This brief dialog could be found in 1 of Monty Python's materials, like the celebrated sketch with the Spanish Inquisition – or utilized as a description of the European Commission's policy in fresh years.
Who's allowed to interfere?
However, it is hard to realize the helplessness of European leaders after a sledge from Vance – and the amazing rhetoric of the fresh administration in Washington in general. Europe has a lot behind its ears, but not adequate to put its ears behind it. Especially since Americans have so much more.
The most insolent remarks made towards Europe were about interfering with another countries' policies. Let us remind you that Trump's biggest administrative star, Elon Musk, openly supports an alternate to Germanywhich any members normalise Nazism, and hits the UK government to defend paedophiles – although he is neither German nor British nor even American. The U.S. is now pushing Romania to let her leave the country Tate's redpill brothers, charged with human trafficking and forcing you to execute in porn movies.
Vance’s full speech was 1 major interference in the interior affairs of another countries.
Insolent, all the more so long ago, the Republican administration has committed aggression against Iraq on the basis of erroneous premises, involving his allies, who are now threatened to slip distant from their commitments. The reason is that the U.S. has claimed to pay to NATO, which has so far only erstwhile applied Article 5 of the Treaty, which deals with aid to an attacked ally – this was after the attacks on the planet Trade Center erstwhile US partners loyally flew with them to the another side of the planet to pacify the Taliban in Afghanistan. From which the Americans later disgracefully fled, as from Vietnam a fewer decades earlier, leaving their and allied associates and millions of women to the Taliban.
What is Europe worth?
According to Vance, Europe does not have much to offer, with which even the conservative, Trumpist think tank Hudson Institute disagrees. W textWhy Europe’s safety Must Be a Key US AIM of February 14, 2025, Luke Coffey points out: “Europe remains crucial to American prosperity. North America and Europe together account for about half of global GDP. 2 thirds of all abroad investment in the US comes from Europe. In addition, Europe is America's largest export marketplace and 48 of the 50 US states export more to the Continent than to China." If the U.S. wants to go to a trade war with China, they scare the duties of their neighbours from Canada and Mexico, and they present a radically assertive approach to the EU, then the question should be asked – who do they want to trade with? Russia? In addition to a group of oligarchs, people mostly have small money.
Vance referred to Europe as if it were a fallen territory in which social pathologies and there is simply a general miseries. The fact that we are not short of problems, but against the background of the USA, the continent is presenting itself as a specimen of health. That's where the evidence of mass execution goes, indicator The killings are 6 out of 100,000 inhabitants (which gives the Americans sixth place in the OECD – after Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa and Costa Rica). In Poland this rate is 12 times lower and in the UK Trumpists mocked it 30 times. Opioid epidemic, a immense and ever-increasing scale of homelessness or violent organized crime are also gigantic social problems in the United States. If you are looking for the best places to live, it is not there, but in any European countries.
In fact, even comparatively mediocre Poland in many respects is simply a better place to live than the USA. For example, access to wellness care – according to data The OECD in Poland 94% of citizens are subject to full wellness insurance, the basic 1 – in the US any wellness insurance has a full of 91%. Thanks to free higher education, our graduates do not gotta deal with debts taken to learn which in the United States in 2022 It reachedA full of $1.75 trillion.
The Americans are indeed superior to Europe in terms of income per head. However, this is mostly the consequence of the global dominance of the dollar, and this is the result, among another things, of the fact that the US is simply a safety guarantor. A fast decline in trust in Washington may besides undermine the position of the American currency.
It is crucial that the US is simply a national state and that the EU is an global organisation. Europe is – including the UK – 28 countries, so diverse that even the multicultural states fall out almost uniformly. This is why in the US it is easier to accumulate capital – leading companies can benefit from economies of scale. There are strong national identities in Europe, so almost all major country wants to have its energy champion, at least 1 large bank, a railway carrier, and preferably an air carrier. No wonder the European economy is much more fragmented. As a result, it is harder for us to compete in the global market. But there are advantages. For example, this prevents the formation of oligarchy – like the 1 that took power in the US.
Weak, thready, insecure
Listening to these teachings from the Americans is becoming increasingly humiliating. It is hard not to be frustrated erstwhile European politicians are incapable to respond with a severe repost or a firm stance to utmost dishonest criticism. Unfortunately, the most charismatic of European leaders – Emmanuel Macron – is presently engaged in extinguishing crises in his own country where Governments fall 1 by one.
Talented politicians are at the forefront of smaller EU countries – like Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen or head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas from Estonia. However, their global position is limited by the size of the countries they represent. It is hard for them to compete with the calibre characters of Donald Trump, who in the fresh presidential election won over 77 million votes.
Europe's problem is not just the deficiency of clear leaders. It is besides the smallness of the full political class, which treats EU values as school rules to be forged, not the foundation of the community in which it truly believes. In the United States, it is not better, but on the contrary – the difference is that American politicians, despite their many flaws, radiate assurance and can impose narratives. Europe is dominated by poor, conservative and complex characters.
