Tribune. Faced with the war in Ukraine, Europe woke up with a start – an awakening that should have happened as early as 2014, with the annexation of Crimea, but that we collectively decided to neglect to return to the self-financing purr. An economy in full recovery. This war is not a struggle between two historical enemies regulating an old post-imperial conflict; It is actually a battle for the soul and for the fundamental values of Europe, democracy and freedom.
The war in Ukraine will transform Europe. The way we respond will be structuring for our continent and the whole world. The Versailles Summit of March 10 indicated the extent of the work that the European Union must complete. While it was preparing to get out of the health and economic crisis due to COVID-19 to advance the three major transitions of our decade – ecological, digital and social -, the European security order was put on the ground. The illegal invasion of Russia.
This unexpected and brutal gesture has shown on the one hand our weaknesses in terms of security policy, and on the other hand our extreme energy dependence. Faced with this aggression, the reaction of Europe has quickly been unanimous and deep, both in France, where President Emmanuel Macron has made all his efforts to pursue a diplomatic solution, than in Germany, a country that had Staying to believe that a real war can return to European soil, as it has made peace in Europe its existential mission for nearly seventy years.
A radical change for Germany for Germany
This shock explains the German reaction, which, in a gesture rarely seen in the country, let alone for a new government at the head of a heterogeneous coalition, pushed the Chancellor Scholz to propose a complete overthrow of the The historical attitude of the country by committing to a sharp increase in defense expenditure. Other Union member countries are committed to investing more in terms of defense, according to the statement of the Versailles Summit.
But the real challenge will be to advance a strength and a common European defense policy, strengthening NATO through a better “Burden Sharing” (cost sharing) between European and American contributions. The ambition of President Macron to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy has certainly made a leap forward with the common funding of the armaments for Ukraine, in the same way as it jumped In front with the common loan to respond to the crisis due to COVID-19.
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