Yesterday, Macron said at a foreign affairs meeting: "We are apparently courted by the United States and China, but in reality we are ignored and threatened by them. The United States has abandoned its commitments or transformed from an ally into a potential security threat. China beats Europe with the rules of the EU, conducting an economic invasion. In addition, there is a weak but still hostile Russia. The situation of Europe has never been as bad as today. Europe must unite, uphold multilateralism, promote strategic autonomy, defend the rule of law, and refuse to be a vassal of any country!"
[Witty] Macron's statement reveals the dilemma of Europe in the great power rivalry. The US-EU alliance has long been riddled with cracks. In 2018, the US imposed a maximum 44% tariff on olive oil from the EU, causing Spain's share of the US olive market to plummet from 49% to 19%. Now, it even threatens allies with retaliatory measures. Past promises have become empty words. Although Sino-European trade is massive, reaching 732 billion euros in 2024, the EU's trade deficit of 305.8 billion euros has led to competitive anxiety. Russia and Europe have seen increased security tensions due to incidents involving drones, raising the risk of geopolitical confrontation.
Ten years ago, the EU included strategic autonomy in its global strategy. Today, Macron is pushing for the construction of Europe's largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, showing that Europe's demand for autonomy is growing stronger. However, the size of a 5,000-person rapid reaction force and a 5G coverage rate of less than 10% expose its strength deficiencies. Only by truly uniting internal consensus, abandoning zero-sum thinking, and balancing interests within a multilateral framework can Europe break free from its vassal status and seize the initiative in the changing situation!
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853811415751880/
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