The Lingering Drowsiness: Europe‘s Reluctant Awakening
The dream of a peaceful, prosperous Europe, a haven of security where even perpetual unemployment could be cushioned, feels distant now, a fading echo of a lovely sleep.That sleep was jolted awake, not by a clarion call, but by the peculiar spectacle of Donald Trump returning to the land, trading the presidency for a farmer’s life within the White House walls. His self-absorption, a preoccupation with his own endeavors, has left a vacuum, a chilling realization that European military protection is no longer a given, not even begrudgingly offered. Europe stirred, shook off the initial shock, but remains stubbornly, frustratingly drowsy.
This awakening, this necessity to forge its own path, is met with profound reluctance. The spring brought a hesitant lifting of heads, a cautious surveying of the landscape, but a crippling inability to fully shake off the inertia of decades. Ursula von der leyen’s promised €800 billion for European security feels, in reality, like a phantom sum. A more realistic €150 billion is the figure being fought over, a sum that will be hard-won. Even as the EU attempts to accelerate its security measures, it moves at a glacial pace, a pace that feels almost deliberately slow.
The core of the problem, as articulated by Martins Staķis and echoed by German MEP Sergei Lagodinsky (who keenly points out the importance of recognizing his German identity alongside his Russian roots and interest in the region), isn’t a strategic or logistical one. It’s a societal one. The threat isn’t abstract; it’s a visceral, personal concern for many, yet remains largely unacknowledged by the political class. While politicians understand the dangers, they are perpetually forced to downplay them, to reassure colleagues who struggle to grasp the gravity of the situation.
the West has luxuriated in a prolonged period of peace, a peace so complete it has become illusory. The possibility of genuine, existential threat feels remote, almost unimaginable. It’s akin to explaining electricity to someone who has never felt its power – a theoretical concept,devoid of real,felt understanding.
Even the initial,robust support for Ukraine stemmed more from a humanitarian impulse – a desire to aid the victim – than from a calculated assessment of self-preservation. The fear that Ukraine’s fall could pave the way for Putin to transform Western European nations into compliant, authoritarian vassals feels, to many, too far-fetched to ignite a truly profound response.This brings us back to the metaphor of the delayed flight. Imagine being on a plane, eager to reach your destination, only to be told takeoff is delayed due to a thunderstorm and the risk of lightning strike. The frustration is palpable. You’re tempted to dismiss the danger, to urge the pilot onward – “It can’t be that bad.” This is precisely the attitude pervading Europe regarding the war in Ukraine.
the conflict is becoming an irritating disruption, a hindrance to the “normal” rhythm of political life. It diverts attention from the issues politicians find pleasant, the issues that allow for grandstanding and easy slogans: social welfare, inequality, gender and racial justice, climate change, the situation in Gaza. these are problems that demand little personal risk, that can be debated in television studios and leveraged for public approval. The Ukrainian war, however, looms closer, a persistent, unwelcome thunderstorm preventing a return to the old, comfortable routines. It’s a disruption to a life many are desperate to reclaim, a life built on the assumption of perpetual peace and security.
