Sick Europe
A view of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as Belgium takes over the presidency from Spain in Brussels, Belgium on January 03, 2023 [Dursun Aydemir – Anadolu Agency]itor.com/20251209-sick-europe/
Europe is no longer a fully sovereign partner in the international order. Nor does it pose a real threat. Instead, it has become a suspended political entity, living off the memory of power rather than reality, and negotiating from a position of fear rather than parity.
Since the tax agreement with the United States — which Emmanuel Macron described as ‘Europe’s dark day’ — it has been clear that the European Union has entered a new phase of declared weakness. This weakness is no longer hidden behind diplomatic language or buried in joint statements; it is displayed openly in images, forced smiles and raised thumbs.
At the Turnberry Golf Course, Ursula von der Leyen stood smiling beside Donald Trump, her thumb raised. Europe had just accepted — without any real negotiation — a 15 per cent tariff on its exports to the United States. This was not an agreement. It was economic submission under security pressure. It was precisely here that the idea of ‘European soft power’ collapsed. Europe shifted from being a negotiating player to becoming a party fearful of losing protection.
Europe’s concerns were not purely economic. It was primarily security-driven. Fearing that a Trump administration might reduce its defensive commitments if Brussels escalated the trade dispute, the EU was forced to retreat. The trade deal was held hostage by the military umbrella. Economic sovereignty became hostage to the airbase. Thus, security weakness cancelled out commercial strength. One weakness gave rise to another.
When the new US national security strategy was published, Europe was not treated as a strategic partner. Instead, it was viewed as a patient displaying multiple symptoms: declining freedoms, suppression of opposition, an identity crisis, collapsing confidence and the rise of populist disorder. This is not the language of an alliance. It is a medical report.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attempted to mitigate the shock. He said that, while the document was ‘not surprising in substance’, parts of it were ‘unacceptable from a European perspective’. Then he delivered the most revealing statement of all: ‘I see no necessity for Americans to take on the task of saving democracy in Europe.’
Behind the strength of this statement lies a dangerous admission: Europe is now being treated as a region in need of political rescue.
Merz told the Americans: “America First is understandable, but America alone does not serve your interests.” This was not diplomatic phrasing. It was a sign of strategic anxiety. Europe is realising that Washington no longer views it as the cornerstone of the Western order, but rather as a geopolitical burden, an unreliable partner and a testing ground.
Donald Trump did not mince his words. In an interview with Politico, he described Europe as ‘a group of collapsing states led by weak people’.
He accused the continent of failing to control migration, end the war in Ukraine and manage itself. He then hinted at his willingness to support European politicians who “align with his vision”. This was no slip of the tongue. It was a redefinition of the relationship: Washington is no longer an ally of Europe — it is reshaping it from within.
When Trump backs the European far right, he is acting not only out of ideology, but also as part of a systematic strategy to dismantle the Union. From his perspective, the EU is not a friendly bloc, but rather a potential economic rival and a political constraint on American dominance. Breaking it from within is cheaper than confronting it from outside.
At that very moment, Vladimir Putin entered the scene. He declared that Russia was ‘ready for war with Europe’ should Europe seek it. He accused Europeans of sabotaging the peace process, threatened to increase naval strikes and suggested cutting Ukraine off from the sea. Europe found itself caught between two opposing forces: American blackmail from the west and a Russian threat from the east.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s dealings with Trump epitomises Europe’s predicament. A president fighting for his country’s survival proudly announces that he obtained Trump’s phone number. Then he is labelled a dictator. He is publicly humiliated. Then he is accused of being despised by his own people. Zelensky was not the only one to be humiliated. The very idea of the ‘Western alliance’ was humiliated alongside him.
Der Spiegel revealed that Macron had warned Zelensky that the United States might betray Ukraine. It was a blunt warning, but one without any deterrent tools. Macron left his meeting with Trump empty-handed, with no guarantees or timeline. Trump merely said, “We want a strong deal, not a weak one.” But Trump does not negotiate wishes; he negotiates balances of power.
German analyst Tobias Vella makes this clear: ‘The United States is no longer a reliable partner for Europe.’ Trump blames Ukraine for the war, strips Zelensky of legitimacy and allows his vice president, J.D. Vance, to lecture Europeans on free speech in Munich. This is not realism. It is an organised policy of humiliation.
Giorgia Meloni claims to be banking on maintaining close ties with Washington. She sounds like someone who is afraid of being expelled from the group, rather than the leader of a major EU state. Who exactly are the ‘enemies of the Union’ she refers to? Putin? Yet today, Putin seems to be closer to Trump than to Brussels.
European elites can now clearly see that the United States no longer bothers to hide its harsh interests behind democratic rhetoric. Trump abandoned those principles in Gaza and will bury what remains of them in Ukraine if it suits him. Values have become mere decoration. Interests have become the headline act.
Sick Europe is a diagnosis, not an insult.
Today, Europe is suffering from military incapacity, extreme dependence on Washington, deep internal divisions, the rise of the far right, economic fragility and a loss of strategic direction. The Union has been excluded from negotiations over the future of the war in Ukraine. It is no longer a player. It is merely observing a destiny that directly concerns it.
Several crucial questions remain:
Can Europe recover?
Can it establish an independent defence capability?
Does it have the courage to sever its security ties with Washington?
Can it redefine its alliance with America?
Can it confront Moscow from a position of parity rather than fear?
Can it restore the political significance of the Union itself?
So far, the answers to all these questions have been postponed. Every decision is only half a decision. Today, Europe is under pressure not only from Trump. It is also under threat from Putin. Europe is currently facing an existential test; either it transforms into a real political power or it will remain a continent that smiles for the cameras and pays the price behind closed doors. Europe does not need painkillers; it needs a shock to the system. It needs a wake-up call. The coming days alone will answer the question: Is the old continent capable of rising again? Or will Washington become its permanent home?
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.