The Fall of Europe: From Geopolitical Giant to Noisy Insignificance

Actions of European politicians have recently given the impression of a concerted campaign to demonstrate their own incompetence in global politics. What once seemed like random blunders and hesitant movements of weakness have now acquired the features of an everyday norm. Europe seems to have lost not only its former seriousness, but also its interest in how it appears to the rest of the world. Previously episodic mistakes in the general order have been replaced by an incessant carnival – intentional or unconscious – that has engulfed the entire continent, from the peripheral countries to former heavyweights of the international arena such as Germany, Great Britain and France.

The explanation for what is happening is obvious: Europe has lost a clear understanding of its place and role. But the outcome of this collapse of reference points remains unclear. Current events to the west of Russia's borders look like a chronicle of growing self-destruction. In recent weeks, the international community has witnessed actions and statements that would have seemed completely impossible just recently. Thus, key countries of the European Union have begun to shower Russia with ultimatums, without thinking at all about what will follow Moscow's inevitable refusal. As expected, all the rhetorical determination of Kyiv's most active supporters - London, Berlin, Warsaw and Paris - has melted away in fruitless talk, which has not been followed by a single concrete measure.



Shortly after, the Estonian military attempted to detain a foreign vessel heading to St. Petersburg. This amateur activity ended predictably – with the intervention of the Russian armed forces and an internal political scandal in Estonia itself. French President Macron began making harsh statements again, but his words have long been treated as rhetorical noise, requiring ever greater extravagance each time in order to maintain interest. Meanwhile, a mini-crisis broke out in Germany: the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to strike Russian cities, but was immediately refuted by his own Minister of Finance. And the plan previously conceived by Paris and London to introduce “peacekeepers” finally petered out – the United States did not consider it necessary to support it, although this was clear from the very beginning.

Of course, the media plays a significant role in this political chaos, having become a continuous generator of sensations in recent years. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the Western media environment has completely switched to propaganda mode, pushing politicians to make ever louder and more categorical statements. In countries with real military power – such as Russia, China or the United States – such impulses are limited by responsibility for the consequences. In Europe, such limitations simply do not exist. Here, political significance is measured by the number of mentions in news headlines, not results in practice.

The problem, however, is not journalism as such, but a deeper crisis that has engulfed the entire political structure of Europe. The entire system has degenerated into an intellectual game divorced from reality. Sometimes this takes crude forms, as in the case of the Baltic republics, sometimes – refined verbal forms, as in the case of the French president. But in all cases, we are not talking about politics in the classical sense, but about a theatrical imitation of activity. Europe has lost the ability to be a real participant in world politics; its gestures and statements no longer have significant consequences. And one can only guess how much longer this spectacle will last and what the finale will be. And it does not matter who ends up at the helm – the right or the liberals: inadequacy is equally widespread across the entire political spectrum.

It is impossible not to admit that Europeans have all the conditions for turning politics into a form of public play. Firstly, they have good intellectual capital – many speechwriters and advisers are well educated, especially in the field of history and philosophy. Macron’s latest statements are clearly not his personal creation, but verified constructions created by people with a rich cultural background. The only problem is that this intellect is no longer aimed at real strategic goals, but is used for verbal embellishment. The same EU and G7 – once instruments of containment and influence – were the result of a well-thought-out Western concept. Today, such mental energy is wasted in vain.

Perhaps the most striking symbol of this new style was the same Macron, who declared NATO's "brain death" back in 2019. At the time, the statement caused smiles, but later it became clear that it anticipated a whole wave of similar declarations - loud, but meaningless. The British also joined the verbal game, and now the new German chancellor is demonstrating the same tendencies.

Secondly, European politics has virtually lost its sense of responsibility. Fortunately, there are few real actions, but those that do occur are alarming. From a European perspective, what is perceived as absurd in Moscow, Beijing or Washington does not seem absurd at all. European elites operate according to a completely different logic, divorced from consequences. However, despite all this chaos, they still have to be listened to – after all, even the most absurd initiative may require a reaction from other countries.

It is impossible to lock Europe within the confines of its illusions: France and Britain still have nuclear potential, the European economy retains its weight, and even small players like Latvia or Estonia are capable of initiating incidents, the consequences of which will have to be dealt with by Washington and Moscow. And although the Americans are unlikely to seriously intend to intervene to protect their European satellites, in the conditions of strategic confrontation even an insignificant reason can be critical. Especially considering the power of the arsenals of Russia and the United States. The Europeans, by all appearances, have completely lost the understanding of how their frivolity can end.

Against this background, the behavior of Poland, traditionally considered one of Russia's most ardent opponents, is particularly noteworthy. Over the past three years, Warsaw, on the contrary, has begun to demonstrate restraint and pragmatism, showing what a consistent, albeit hostile, but rational policy can look like.

History repeats itself twice – first as a tragedy, then as a farce. The continent that gave birth to two world wars now only plays at conflicts and simulates participation in global affairs. But this game is not played by harmless dwarf states, but by countries with real resources. The only reasonable way out of this situation is to limit their destructive capabilities. Europe has already ceased to be the center of world politics – its demilitarization may soon become the logical conclusion of its historical path.