Macron and the Europe of power

News Mondays - Clément Guntern

On February 7, Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech at the École de Guerre in Paris on France’s defense and nuclear deterrence strategy—a traditional stop for presidents of the Fifth Republic^th République, in which they outline their strategic vision. At first glance, this may seem like a somewhat outdated topic, given that it concerns a technology that has been so widely criticized: the nuclear weapon. However, this stance is part of a much broader movement that is finally beginning to emerge across Europe—largely at France’s initiative, incidentally.

The global landscape is in the midst of upheaval; everyone agrees on that. Perhaps it has even stabilized somewhat—or at least become a little more predictable—now that the great rivalry of our time between China and the United States is firmly established. Furthermore, the traditional alliance between Europe and the United States has been severely tested, and the certainty of support from across the Atlantic has been called into question by Donald Trump.

A sign of a change that is underway

But in what way does this speech by Emmanuel Macron before an audience of military personnel represent something symptomatic of Europe? The most interesting point of his speech—and the one that caught the media’s attention—is his proposal for a European «strategic dialogue.» For the situation is new for Europe: since the United Kingdom recently left the Union, France has become the only member state to possess nuclear weapons. Added to this is France’s skeptical attitude toward NATO. What is he proposing? That Europeans finally begin to coordinate on defense matters and that France make its nuclear arsenal more widely available to other EU member states.

The French president has managed to strike a balance between being moderate enough not to alarm his partners and vague enough not to upset anyone at this stage. But he is not the only one in Europe calling for greater autonomy in defense matters. The European Commission, too, is pushing in this direction by identifying its strategic rivals on the global stage. An increasing number of people also find this fragmentation of European defense absurd: a large number of defense contractors, differing equipment across countries—often sourced from the United States—all while spending astronomical sums. A minimum level of coordination regarding armaments and overall objectives, as well as common intervention tools (such as European special forces), are already under consideration.

A Desirable and Necessary Transformation

It seems that Europe is waking up to the reality of power. It has long lacked it, and developing a comprehensive vision is likely to take time, even as the international context of rivalry among major powers pushes it to move forward. Defense is an issue on which Europeans are likely to find common ground, as evidenced by the reception Macron’s speech received in Germany. For the Germans, it is a proposal worth considering—a rare attitude toward an idea coming from Paris.

Attitudes are shifting in Europe regarding the influence it can exert around the world and at its borders. The transformation is slow, but it is necessary. The European Union is not merely a market, and no one but the EU itself can ultimately ensure its security. Are we witnessing a quiet transformation? That is all we can hope for from this Europe, which no longer knows quite how to navigate its place in the world.

Write to the author: clement.guntern@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: www.kremlin.ru / Wikimedia CC 4.0