By Jan OBERG

Join us on Telegram, Twitter, and VK.

Contact us: info@strategic-culture.su

The European Union (EU), once a symbol of integration and peace, now faces a convergence of crises that threaten its credibility, perhaps even its existence. Economic stagnation grips its core, with Germany and France projected to face sluggish economic growth and southern economies teetering on renewed debt spirals. The EU’s industrial base is eroding and bureaucracy is growing, while its fiscal and political tools appear increasingly impotent.

Politically, the rise of illiberal procedures – led by figures who lack sufficient knowledge, historical awareness, empathy and strategic vision – undermines democratic norms. Slogans replace substance and diplomacy becomes like a shop with nothing on the shelves.

The EU’s foreign policy, tethered to Washington’s priorities, functions less as a partnership and more as obedience and submission. EU leaders supporting Ukraine take orders from around the US table, while from the UN podium, the US president scolds Europe and says it is “going to hell” due to immigration.

Strategic autonomy remains rhetorical as Euro-NATO entanglements deepen and militarism becomes the default language in the field of security politics and international relations. Meanwhile, censorship, algorithmic silencing and mainstream media erode public trust. Journalism has evolved into narrative management, leaving citizens with elections that lack genuine information and meaningful choices. Indeed, the EU risks becoming a post-democratic entity: technocratic, militarized and epistemically hollow.

This is not a fantasy. It is a plausible trajectory toward decline and irrelevance if current trends accelerate unchecked into 2026. However, while collapse and fragmentation are likely, they are not inevitable. The EU must reclaim its soul. Deep down there is a solid reservoir of values, experiences and cultural wealth. It must redefine its role as a sovereign pole in the already far-advanced multipolar world. This will require a radical shift in how Europe thinks about peace, security and its place in global affairs.

First, Europe must decouple its security thinking from US-led deterrence doctrine. It should be clear by now that NATO’s unwise confidence-eroding expansion has provoked confrontation of tragic proportions.

The EU should build its own peace-oriented defense capacity – focused on territorial defense, early warning, intelligent conflict management, diplomacy, defensive weapons structures, civil and non-violent resistance – and recover its diplomatic capability. Neutrality must be reclaimed as a strength, not a liability. Security must be redefined as the ability to resolve conflict with as little violence as possible. This means investing in mediation, violence-preventive diplomacy, and regional dialogue platforms.

Europe must stop planning for permanent war and start preparing for permanent peace. Common security – with and not against “the other” – is the only way forward in Europe and the rest of the world. The choice we face is between co-existence in diversity and tolerance or non-existence in self-righteousness.

Second, the EU must engage with BRICS+, ASEAN and the African Union as equals – and be grateful that others do not talk about decoupling in an interconnected world as it does. It must abandon its civilizational arrogance and embrace diversity of models, values and interests. It is banal to state – but still needs to be said – that strategic partnerships should be built on mutual respect, not on conditionality, threats or bullying. And no “civilizing mission” by anyone.

Third, the West needs more direct democracy, as parliaments have failed miserably, and a globalized democracy, given the world’s increasing globalization. The EU must abandon its fortress idea and become a forum for dialogue among equals, among cultures. It can if it wants.

Fourth, Europe must invest in ethical AI, digital commons and open-source infrastructure that serve the public good. It would be wise to recover its signature welfare thinking and mixed economies. Neo-liberal capitalism is another miserable failure, except for the richest.

The only rearmament the EU needs is cultural and intellectual, through art, humanities, philosophy and civil society, to rehumanize its institutions and reconnect with its foundational values. And that will open doors to join the rest of the world.

Last but not least, the EU’s own Treaty on European Union affirms that peace is its highest goal, to be achieved through “unity in diversity.” To reclaim its future, Europe must return to this foundational ethos and simply start a future-oriented public dialogue.

Europe stands at a crossroads. It can continue down the path of fragmentation, militarism, US submissiveness and lack of vision. But it can also still choose renewal, sovereignty and peace. Peace, not militarism and war-planning, is the way to catch up with a rapidly changing and very competitive world outside the West. It has much better cards than the US. The EU must stop trying to lecture and lead the world, and start learning from it.

Original article: globaltimes.cn