European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference after a European Union leaders’ special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels, on March 6. [Reuters]
The lack of a strong leadership in Europe has been one of Greece’s greatest laments these past few decades: “Where are people like Helmut Kohl, Francois Mitterand and Jacques Delors when you need them?” many ask.
With lunatics to its west and predators to its east, Europe needs some time to reflect on the new challenges it is facing
To be fair to Europe, though, in the present circumstances, Ursula von der Leyen is not a politician to be dismissed; she is, in fact, a titan compared with the new American administration. We haven’t seen a European politician appear on TV with charcoal smeared on their face – not even a devoutly Catholic Italian one. We did, however, see US Secretary of State Marco Rubio perform such antics, appearing on a television news program with the Ash Wednesday cross on his forehead. What makes it even worse is that he’s supposed to be the “serious” one in the Donald Trump government, the top official who will balance out some of the crazy.
For years, there has been a tendency to dismiss Europe, to lambast it for its bureaucracy, sluggish decision-making and compromises that seem to satisfy no one. Yet, as with all established institutions, we often overlook the fact that the European project is a unique experiment in world history, and one in which every step is taken without a clear roadmap.
We also tend to ignore the distinct national sensitivities of its 27 member-states. In Greece, for instance, we advocate for a unified foreign and defense policy – just as long as we don’t have to give up our cherished veto power. And we forget that not too long ago, during the “mad cow disease” crisis, Greeks were up in arms because the European Commission banned the consumption of intestines, liver and other offal – key ingredients of our beloved “kokoretsi.”
Sure, Greeks tend to be insatiable, wanting everything and its opposite. But to say that Europe has failed is a gross fallacy. Failed compared to what? Granted, it was not fully prepared to deal with Russia and the terrible ill that has befallen it as a result of Vladimir Putin. Europe has no army and only now are efforts being made to equip it with a nuclear umbrella, thanks to the efforts of France and Emmanuel Macron. We forget, though, that war was never part of the bloc’s vision. Quite the contrary: The European Union was created and nurtured to serve as a vehicle of peace. So in that regard, it is absolutely successful. We have not re-experienced the horrors of the two world wars, nor of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
Now, with lunatics to its west and predators to its east, Europe needs some time to reflect on the new challenges it is facing. Rearming seems like the only way to go right now, but it cannot be embarked upon without a good deal of thought and planning. We know what can emerge from the combination of German determination and weapons. We’ve seen it – twice. And as the interwar period in Europe and the 21st century in the United States have taught us, democracies can hold unpleasant surprises. Even when they contain elements of the absurd – like the Trump presidency.