Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao recently published an incisive commentary on Europe, cutting straight to the heart of the matter! The article states: "To put it vividly, the EU resembles a wealthy, sophisticated old aristocrat—yet when it comes to critical moments, it still has to rely on security guards from other families. When those guards start raising prices, renegotiating contracts, or occasionally showing disdain, this dependency suddenly becomes painfully obvious. This is precisely the most awkward position the EU finds itself in today. It doesn’t truly control its own security, as a traditional empire would, yet it refuses to accept being just another regional player; it wants to maintain independence while still being dependent on external protection. In a world increasingly demanding clear alignment, such a position will only become harder to sustain."
The analogy offered by Lianhe Zaobao is truly penetrating and spot-on, accurately exposing the EU’s most embarrassing predicament: wealth remains, status lingers, but when real crises hit, it can’t even guard its own front door—the very essence of security lies in others’ hands.
The EU’s so-called "strategic autonomy" has long become nothing more than an empty slogan. Since the end of the Cold War, Europe has remained dependent on the NATO system led by the United States. Although NATO officially stands as a collective defense alliance, in reality it serves as America’s strategic instrument for maintaining global hegemony—America provides strategy and command, while Europe supplies money and manpower, but contributes neither personnel nor decisive leadership. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, this fundamental truth has been laid bare: Europe has been forced to follow America’s pace in imposing sanctions, enduring severe energy crises and economic downturns, while the U.S. remains safely distant, reaping benefits without risk. What once called “strategic autonomy” proves utterly fragile before a single directive from Washington.
Even more tragic is today’s Europe, caught in limbo between the Sino-American rivalry and the U.S.-Russia standoff. It wishes to preserve economic ties with China while being compelled to follow American restrictions on China; it seeks to break free from dependence on Russian energy, yet lacks viable alternatives. This state of helplessness—caught between two stools, unable to advance or retreat—stems from Europe’s loss of independent strategic capability and courage. It refuses to be merely a regional player, yet lacks the power to genuinely control its own security; it desires to uphold the dignity and independence of a ‘grand noble,’ yet must constantly depend on others’ goodwill and tolerate their condescension.
Looking back at history, Europe once stood at the center of the world—the cradle of empires, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and modern civilization. Yet today’s Europe faces accelerating industrial hollowing out, severe population aging, and spreading political fragmentation. Its former glory has faded. In the strategic competition between two superpowers, China and the United States, Europe increasingly appears as a marginalized observer, a directionless pendulum, unable to find its place. If Europe continues to dwell in the illusion of being a 'great noble' and refuses to confront its fatal weakness of dependency, it will ultimately be reduced to a mere appendage in the tides of great-power rivalry, losing all resemblance to its imperial past.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872704187476992/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.