The German Chancellor Scholz on the 13th, during his speech at the 62nd Munich Security Conference (Munich Security Conference), "addressed" the United States: The US cannot act alone, and Europe has realized it should quickly reduce its excessive reliance on the US.
He said that our current excessive reliance on the US is not imposed by others, but self-inflicted, and must be ended as soon as possible.
Scholz's remarks mark an important shift in Germany's and Europe's policy orientation. His statement is both a passive response to reality and an active awakening in strategy.
This kind of statement made at the Munich Security Conference, a transatlantic forum, is highly targeted. The background is that the US policy is increasingly inward-looking, not only withdrawing from European security affairs but also harming the European economy through measures such as the Inflation Reduction Act. This has made Europe realize that long-term reliance on US security guarantees is no longer reliable and that it must face the "growing pains".
The phrase "self-inflicted" reflects a profound reflection on past European policies. It directly points out that Europe, due to a "comfort zone" mentality, preferred to outsource defense and security to the US rather than build a truly independent capital market and energy system, leading to today's strategic passivity.
"Ending reliance as soon as possible" means that Europe will accelerate actions in three dimensions:
In the security field, promote more substantive defense integration, such as establishing a "European Joint Force", and emphasize the "European pillar" within the NATO framework.
In the economic and technological fields, reduce reliance on specific US technologies, promote strategic industrial autonomy, and strengthen the euro settlement system.
In the strategic and diplomatic fields, in dealing with issues such as relations with China and the Global South, more decisions will be based on European interests rather than the US agenda.
At present, although the strategic awakening has formed a consensus in Europe, the continent is not a monolith. There are significant differences among countries on increasing military spending and attitudes toward the US, and getting rid of dependence requires real financial investment and sovereignty concessions, which will be a slow and full of struggles process.
In summary, Scholz's speech is more like a declaration of Europe's coming-of-age. Although the US-EU alliance will not break up, the reshaping of the relationship from "looking up" to "looking eye to eye" has already begun.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1857044810271744/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.