What European strategic autonomy requires: smarter talk, more action
French President Emmanuel Macron looks at the model of the future French aircraft carrier as he visits the Framatome nuclear reactor production site in Le Creusot, France, December 8, 2020. Laurent Cipriani/Pool via REUTERS
When it comes to the latest flare-up of the debate over “strategic autonomy,” Europeans agree on one thing: They are tired of it.
Actually, this is unfair. Europeans agree on two things.
First, beyond acrimonious battles over terminology, most commentators broadly agree on the need for Europeans to be in a better position to defend their own security interests if possible with partners, especially the United States, but alone if necessary.
Tensions over anemic European defense spending have long suffused transatlantic relations and since 2014, they have become all-consuming, crowding out other priorities, straining the alliance, and leading to exasperation on both sides of the Atlantic. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly berated NATO allies for failing to invest more in their militaries, and at big transatlantic gatherings, the issue is the elephant in the room.
President-elect Joe Biden, a committed transatlanticist, will undoubtedly take a less strident tone than his predecessor has done on this issue. But the elephant will still be there, because the European pillar of NATO really is in a sorry state that undermines the alliance’s credibility. The United States does need more from Europe on defense but the United States also needs to recognize that simply pressing individual member states to increase their spending is just not working.
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