Reference News Network, September 3 report: The Spanish website "20 Minutes" published an article titled "The EU's 'Halfway' New Geopolitics: Lack of Decision-Making, Pressure from Trump and a Strong NATO" on August 31. The author is Emilio Ordiz. The full excerpt is as follows:

The EU must make decisions but fails to follow through. This is due both to its own reasons and the pace imposed by the current situation, which it is not accustomed to. The path towards strategic autonomy has always been long, but this legislative term is further slowed down by the need for extensive and cross-sectoral agreements. The pressure from Trump and a strong NATO are both constraining this future-oriented union from taking its first steps.

Sergio Príncipe Elmozo, a doctorate holder in journalism from Complutense University of Madrid, explained to "20 Minutes" that the EU's biggest problem is "its timidity." It should believe more in "its potential," but also try to give up on "hypocrisy" in many matters, and ensure that "citizens are not left out." In other words, the specific measures taken by the EU should benefit the people.

Príncipe believes the key to the EU becoming a leader in the future lies in one sentence: "A change of awareness and the recovery of common principles." But how exactly should this be interpreted? He summarizes it into three points: relations with China, internal policies (especially issues like immigration), and the EU's internal and external positioning on Russia. On Moscow, he says: "We will never be friends, but we cannot always be enemies." Nevertheless, Príncipe believes it is risky to call the EU a "pole," and using the term "reference framework" is reasonable for the future.

Defense is actually the primary pillar of the EU's strategic autonomy. But there is a trap within it: NATO. Europeans have, to some extent, tied themselves to NATO's new plans, even though these plans seem to align with the EU: increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, which Brussels claims must go hand in hand with the actions of the EU group; however, on one hand, increasing spending may increase dependence on the United States, while on the other hand, the EU believes this spending can be used to establish a new defense and security alliance, which seems unreasonable. European countries ultimately yielded to the pressure from Washington and Trump.

Nevertheless, the EU at least took a major step theoretically, namely the "Re-arming Europe" plan.

Daniel Gil, an analyst at the Spanish website "Political Reporting Room," believes the EU indeed needs to increase defense spending, but the question is how to do so. "We must ask ourselves what the meaning of defense spending is, most importantly, what its pillars are?"

Some countries talk about "the ability to defend against military attacks when necessary," Gil believes this requires "enhancing the combat capabilities of the European army." And the immediate priority is "strengthening military power, rather than industrial power." Therefore, there is an important division, because these are two very different paths: investing money in European industry or spending money to buy weapons from other countries to fill short-term gaps. He reminds us that these methods "can be complementary," but currently, the 27 countries still have two "factions" on how the EU should enhance its defense and hard power.

Strategic autonomy also involves understanding relationships with other countries, especially with the United States and China, and the EU appears to waver between the two at different times. The relationship with the United States has been defined by the recent agreement to avoid a trade war. Although how the trade war will be resolved remains to be seen, the reality is that the EU has hardly made any moves to get away from Washington. At a time when transatlantic ties are deeply affected, Brussels once again turns to China. This precisely illustrates that the EU does not yet know how to move forward independently. Moving away from the United States would lead the group to turn to China, and vice versa.

Brussels has always claimed that the EU's slow action is unavoidable, and now the differences among the 27 countries are growing, making agreements harder to reach. The EU faces numerous demands and pressures from both inside and outside, and it is facing a real test. Officials within the institutions insist that strategic autonomy is urgent. (Translated by Han Chao)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7545767250096964135/

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