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OPINION MAY 26, 2023 | The Indian Eye 10

Europe’s Re-awakening:

The Arduous Task of

Re-linking Security Concerns

As a bloc, the EU has been unable to convert its geo-economic heft into geopolitical traction. Part of it
stems from the way Europe’s post-World War security was outsourced to the US

SWASTI RAO

he internal and external refer-
ence points of what was once
Tthe European security order
have undergone a fundamental shift
after the war in Ukraine started on 24
February 2022. To its credit, Europe
has been quick to condition itself to
the radically changed realities but lot
of that re-conditioning continues to
be economically painful.
While Europe’s latest security
misgivings are pegged on the war in
Ukraine and the geopolitical bifur-
cation between the US and China, it
also finds itself grappling with diverse
political opinions, energy security cri-
ses, the challenges of climate change
and the need to accelerate green
transition. There are compulsive ar-
guments of an indivisible security be-
tween Europe and Asia that connect
a lack of resistance against Russia
to aggravating tensions over Taiwan More and more members of EU and NATO are becoming common to each other. The increase in overlapping membership
amid worsening US–China relations. with Finland already in NATO and Sweden next in line (File photo)
All of this has triggered stagger-
ingly high defense spending by sever-
al actors. At the same time, there has formational paralysis within the EU. Security Forum, a flagship security and deepening with NATO on the
been a rise of the global South fuel- The key difference is that this time dialogue held under the aegis of the one hand and its quest for strategic
ling a multipolar world order where around, the bloc has nothing to hide European External Action Service. autonomy on the other. From Eu-
a group of countries—what Europe behind. Neither diplomacy, engage- The Schuman Forum is remarkable rope’s perspective, the two verticals
identifies as ‘Consequential Hedg- ment, trade, persuasion have pre- for attempting to develop EU’s se- should complement each other. It is
ers’—refuse to identify with Europe’s vented Europe’s worst nightmare— curity capabilities in two parallel indeed counterintuitive to imagine
problems. the return of war on its soil. But since and complementing major verticals that mutually exclusive pursuits of
As a bloc, the EU has been un- it has, so have the deliberations on of engagement—one with NATO seeking freedom while deepening de-
able to convert its geo-economic heft how should the continent provide for and the US and another with forging pendence would not intersect sooner
into geopolitical traction. Part of it its security, re-embark on the pursuit global defense partnerships. Despite than later. But for now, Europe has
stems from the way Europe’s post- of strategic autonomy and balance its the remarkable plans, myriad chal- agreed upon reconciling the two to
World War security was outsourced dependence on NATO. It is evident lenges exist at multiple levels, which ensure an optimal outcome.
to the US. The bloc was single-mind- that the bloc is mulling a viable secu- unless addressed, are likely to impact The first vertical of EU security
edly immersed in the pursuit of the rity architecture that can rise up to the desire of the European Union to is, unarguably, deepening ties with
world’s most successful inter-state the occasion and provide teeth to the emerge as a global security actor and NATO that the war in Ukraine has ce-
economic integration experiment— EU’s security worldview. provider. mented. While the panel discussions
the European Union. The most systematic attempt to The future of Europe’s security at Schuman highlighted deepening
Russia’s war in Ukraine has once this end was manifested at the recent- architecture will depend largely on cooperation with organizations like
again tugged at the root of this trans- ly concluded Schuman Defense and how well it blends its dependence Continued on next page... >>

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