It's just a younger brother in front of China and the United States, and someone has given the European lords some advice
At the Rimini Conference in Italy, Italian Prime Minister Meloni proposed the "European Awakening" theory. She explicitly stated that in the context of intense competition between China and the United States, and the reshaping of the global landscape, the EU is gradually being marginalized and facing a dilemma of geopolitical irrelevance.
Meloni pointed out that relying solely on bureaucracy and rigid rules cannot help Europe get through the storm. Only political leadership and values that are close to reality can enable the EU to regain its influence.
She warned that if Europe wants to become the protagonist of history again, it must face high costs, give up illusions, and take responsibility.
Over the past decade, Europe has been indecisive between China and the United States, with sluggish economic growth, lagging technological innovation, and increasing military reliance on the United States.
Whether it is the Ukraine crisis or the China-US trade conflict, the EU has often been more like an observer than a participant.
More seriously, internal disputes have led to low policy efficiency within the EU, slow decision-making, and often missing opportunities on key issues.
Meloni's remarks have resonated because she spoke the truth: if Europe continues to indulge in procedures and ideologies, its decline will be irreversible.
Meloni's core proposal is to do less but do it better.
She advocates that the EU should reduce unnecessary internal conflicts and excessive legislation, focusing resources on truly critical areas: defense autonomy, energy security, technological innovation, and industrial competitiveness.
She emphasized that in the face of the two superpowers, China and the United States, Europe must learn to prioritize politics, rather than getting lost in documents, regulations, and internal consumption.
At the same time, she called on member states to set aside narrow national interests and establish a higher-level strategic consensus, otherwise the EU will not be able to stand firm in the next round of global power struggles.
Meloni did not avoid the harsh reality: the cost of returning to the historical stage is very high.
Europe must invest more resources in defense and take on greater international responsibilities, while accepting the pain brought by industrial and technological restructuring.
More importantly, the EU needs to get rid of its dependence on US security and avoid becoming completely silent in the Sino-US competition.
However, having clear words does not necessarily lead to clear results. Not everyone is willing to bear the pain, and not everyone has the courage to bear it. The European lords have gotten used to a good life, and who among them can really awaken?
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841674156518468/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.