Our continent must be prepared to defend itself, by combining the best of its two most influential traditionsShould we all be Gaullists now? In the language of France’s most important European partner, the answer is “Jein!” (a German word combining ja for yes and nein for no). Yes, Emmanuel Macron has been right to warn us ever since he became France’s president in 2017 that, discerning a long-term trend of US disengagement, Europe should be ready to defend itself. Now, confronted with Donald Trump, a rogue US president putting in question an 80-year-old American commitment to the defence of Europe against Russia, lifelong Euro-Atlanticists like me must acknowledge that we need not just a Europe with more hard power – something for which I have always argued – but also the real possibility of European “strategic autonomy”. Oui, Monsieur le Président, you were right.Yet en mȇme temps (at the same time), to deploy Macron’s signature trope, we should answer “Non”. For De Gaulle, a grea...
Faced with threats from Trump and Putin, Europe needs "Churchillo-Gaullisme," a blend of British and French approaches to defense. This means strengthening NATO while also exploring European strategic autonomy, including French and British nuclear deterrence. "Coalitions of the willing" may be necessary due to EU and NATO blockers. Europe faces challenges in disparate national security views and the tension between European policies and national politics. The goal is a Europe capable of defending itself without a single dominant power.
