Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz of Germany had the courage to say out loud what many European leaders are surely thinking as US president Donald Trump threatens to abrogate America’s obligations to Nato, potentially shattering the 76-year-old alliance.
Merz said his priority “will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible” in order to “achieve real independence from the USA.” French president Emmanuel Macron echoed Merz’s sentiment during an official visit to Washington DC the day after the German election. Europe should pursue “strategic autonomy,” Macron said.
It would be a generational project costing hundreds of billions of dollars and requiring real sacrifice from Europeans who have grown accustomed to the benefits of a strong alliance with a stable and democratic America. Now that America is no longer stable – and is led by an aspiring autocrat – the project is undoubtedly worth the cost.
Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz of Germany had the courage to say out loud what many European leaders are surely thinking as US president Donald Trump threatens to abrogate America’s obligations to Nato, potentially shattering the 76-year-old alliance.
Merz said his priority “will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible” in order to “achieve real independence from the USA.” French president Emmanuel Macron echoed Merz’s sentiment during an official visit to Washington DC the day after the German election. Europe should pursue “strategic autonomy,” Macron said.
It would be a generational project costing hundreds of billions of dollars and requiring real sacrifice from Europeans who have grown accustomed to the benefits of a strong alliance with a stable and democratic America. Now that America is no longer stable – and is led by an aspiring autocrat – the project is undoubtedly worth the cost.