They say the camel is a racehorse designed by a committee of bureaucrats!
This old joke was reminded of by Ms. #Ursula von der Leyen, in her “State of the Union” speech on September 16th …
So our beloved Ursula told us:
Europe must gain strength.
To be able to act.
To defend herself.
To gain strategic autonomy, greater defensive capability,
a stronger industrial base, energy security, technological power and a larger geopolitical footprint.
He spoke of a “strong and independent Europe”,
for a new European security architecture,
for a European Security Council,
for a new Crisis Response Protocol
and for deeper strategic partnerships.
And, as a highlight, he proposed to… Canada to become the first “associate member” of the Union.
He’s a bit reminiscent of the “village madman” who walks around unwashed, unkempt, missing teeth, sleeping with the animals in the barns, next to the mares, and suddenly buys a subscription to… the Financial Times to impress his fellow villagers and a gold (“monkey”) watch to “stun” the “beautiful” of the village.
As the old people used to say: Where are you going, Karamitros?
* However, Ms. Ursula’s change in vocabulary is notable.
Because now, suddenly, he discovered Power and the “geopolitical footprint”…
For decades, Europe boasted of something different.
For #soft_power – for the so-called “soft power”…
The newly formed theorem of the United Europe – which had absolutely no relation to European tradition and history – argued that “hard Power” could now be replaced by the power of influence: the huge single market, trade, economic weight, European rules, diplomacy, institutions, development aid to the Third World and, above all, the “attractiveness” of the European model.
All this, with the “certainty” that in matters that required hard power, the Americans would continue to “clean up”…
And on the assumption that #Washington would continue to relentlessly subsidize Europe’s defense , while the United Europe itself would continue to compete commercially and economically with the #USA .
Now the whole “soft power” theorem is collapsing , when competitiveness is undermined and the European model itself is no longer convincing…
Villages that America no longer “cleans” on behalf of Europe.
* Today, Europe is faced with a world where geopolitics has returned. Where borders, energy, raw materials, technology, armies and deterrence have once again entered the center of international politics.
Except there’s an irony.
Now that Europe
it even loses some of the “soft power” it had until now –
but it was never enough on its own-
suddenly “discovered” the real Power!
And the problem is that he hasn’t understood yet.
What exactly does Power mean…
* So let’s do a simple test.
Two member states of the European Union.
Greece has been facing decades of Turkish challenge to its sovereign rights and the threat of use of force. Which is constantly escalating…
The Republic of Cyprus, a member state since 2004, continues to see 36% of its territory under illegal Turkish occupation.
The first and most elementary test of the notorious European geopolitical power is exactly this:
What does the EU do against a third country that threatens two of its member states?
If it does nothing – or is limited to wishful thinking – then there is no Power – then there is zero (not to say negative) “geopolitical footprint”.
It can spend huge sums on its defense – in effect equipping different armies with different orientations, priorities, and rules of engagement…
However, if it cannot protect two of its members in a basic way, no third party will take it seriously.
Geopolitical footprint… ZERO.
What exactly does “European Power” mean when two member states are threatened or have already suffered territorial loss from a third country?
This question has not been answered.
In fact, it hasn’t even been set.
Not even from Greece…
Which proclaims that #Turkey is… its “friend”!
We are also part of the European political decline…
* So what is strategic power?
— First of all, you have to know what you want.
What are your goals? Your big aspirations. Your big priorities…
— Second, you need to know who your partners are to achieve these goals.
— Third, you need to know who your threats and strategic competitors are. In other words, your “enemies” or potential enemies.
— Fourth, you must know who your allies are versus your enemies.
— And fifth, to know what resources you need and what you are willing to do to keep your allies close and your enemies far away.
This is called Power strategy (even for “beginners”…)_.
* And here the difficulties begin.
Europe talks about “strategic autonomy” , but it still doesn’t know what to do in the United States-Russia-China triangle.
The US is its main military ally and at the same time a power with which relations have become much more difficult.
Russia is the direct military adversary in the European theater.
China is simultaneously a trading partner, an economic competitor, and a strategic challenge.
And what is the European answer, according to dear Ursula?
Canada!
And Ukraine…
Good wines , as the grandparents in the village would say.
Which they don’t know of course, from Power theory and geopolitical footprint, but they can recognize the village lunatic from afar…
* Also, geopolitical Power has unfulfilled conditions.
Without which it becomes a dangerous joke.
Geopolitical power without economic power does not exist.
And economic strength means much more than GDP.
It means energy efficiency and competitive costs.
It means food security.
It means industry and competitiveness.
It means innovation and technology.
It means human capital.
It means demographic dynamism.
It means access to critical raw materials and secure supply chains.
It means trade networks and financial power.
And here the European contradiction becomes even greater.
Europe wants to become a geopolitical power at the same time as it is constantly losing the competitiveness of its industry,
is called upon to reduce energy costs which have skyrocketed due to the forced green transition (and not only that – nuclear plants that do not cause CO2 emissions were also closed),
and while it sinks into demographic decline , part of the European elite joins the woke agenda, critical race theory and fights over how many genders there are…
While illegal immigration does not solve the labor problem, it undermines social cohesion – and essentially remains uncontrolled.
According to the legends of tradition, during the years of decline of Byzantium, the “intellectuals” of the time argued about the gender of angels.
Today, European elites are fighting over human genders.
While birth rates are constantly decreasing…
* And here comes the other big problem of Europe – and of our beloved Ursula, who doesn’t see it though…
Power is not just the means you have at your disposal.
It is also the rallying within you around common goals.
And here Europe perhaps has the biggest problem.
Because it’s not enough to have 27 countries.
They must want about the same thing when the time of crisis comes.
And yet, today the major issues that destabilize and divide Europe are multiplying:
Causing major cracks not only between member countries but also WITHIN member countries.
And they are causing major displacements within European societies. Contrary to the policies adopted by the Brussels bureaucracy over the last ten years…
But the European Commission is not changing its basic strategy.
– The green transition continues.
– New “emergency frameworks” are added for immigration.
– For Ukraine , the same basic line of support continues.
– “Corrections” are being sought for the energy, without overturning the basic architecture that created the problem.
The language changes (a little).
The strategy is not…
And now the lovely Ursula comes to talk about the Power of Europe , while insisting on the basic choices that have destabilized Europe itself.
* And then Manfred #Weber appears on the scene.
Not someone “extreme”.
Not some sloppy and marginal “anti-European”…
The leader of the European People’s Party (EPP)!
Also German, like Ursula…
And immediately after Ursula’s speech, she warned that, despite the huge sums to be spent on European defense, without coordination, Europe risks acquiring “27 bonsai armies”!
Twenty-seven small – decorative – national armies.
Bonsai are the famous miniature trees cultivated by the Japanese.
In pots…
They are wonderful decorations for the living room.
But they are NOT normal trees…
And somewhere here we return to… the camel.
Europe has just discovered Power.
But it still thinks of power as if it can be “manufactured” with yet another European regulation, yet another Fund, yet another Council and yet another… “Protocol”.
And the real test is much simpler before her eyes, but she doesn’t see it:
If Europe cannot protect two of its member states when they are threatened or when they have already lost territory to a third country, then it still does NOT understand what geopolitical power is.
He doesn’t even suspect it…
Until it figures it out, the European geopolitical camel will remain what the old joke says: a racehorse designed by a committee of bureaucrats.
Or, in its European version: a racehorse designed by… 27 committees.
Our help…
PS. To understand what is happening: in 2015 the EU was 91% of US GDP. In 2025 it had fallen to 69% of US GDP!
And the EU’s trend of economic backwardness is unstoppable.
It is constantly expanding…
Ursula discovered true Power as a great “want” for a Europe that is constantly weakening.
May God have mercy on us…
(But what should He do first?)
THANASSIS K.
