For decades, Europe was convinced that its economic, social, and political model constituted a global benchmark. It possessed a powerful industry, considerable diplomatic influence, and one of the highest standards of living on the planet. Today, this certainty is wavering.
The observation is brutal. The United States dominates disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms. China is establishing itself as an unavoidable industrial and commercial power. Meanwhile, Europe seems to hesitate, regulate, and sometimes suffer consequences rather than take action.
The energy crisis has revealed vulnerabilities that many refused to see. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that the continent’s security still largely depends on NATO, and therefore on the United States. European giants are struggling to compete with American and Chinese behemoths in the strategic sectors of the 21st century.
The problem is not a lack of talent. Europe has prestigious universities, recognized engineers, and a market of over 400 million consumers. The problem is political. The European Union often moves at twenty-seven different speeds, whereas its competitors think on a continental scale.
Every crisis reveals the same weakness: a chronic difficulty in transforming ambitions into rapid decisions. Europeans talk about digital sovereignty but depend on foreign technologies. They evoke strategic autonomy but continue to rely on external partners for their security. They wish to reindustrialize the continent but struggle to create the necessary conditions for the emergence of European champions.
Yet, nothing is irreversible. Europe retains major assets: a rare institutional stability, a powerful single market, quality infrastructure, and a still considerable capacity for innovation.
The real question, therefore, is not whether Europe can remain a great power. The question is whether it still has the political will to do so.
History teaches us that civilizations do not decline when they lack resources. They decline when they lose confidence in their ability to shape their future.
Europe finds itself at this crossroads today.
By Isaac Hammouch