From Awokening to Awakening

In navigating the currently troubled waters of inflation and the rising cost of living, politicians are tempted to treat the symptoms—offsetting the increasing expenses with subsidies and expanding welfare programmes. But one should also treat the cause. The cause is not Russian aggression towards Ukraine. That is also a symptom—a symptom of the weakness of Europe and the West, either real or perceived. This weakness should be addressed. In 2022 power politics made a comeback. It has become clear that a world in which prosperity is spread by innovation and trade is not a given but has to be protected by real power. In 2022, with war once again on European soil, the EU woke up to a world it thought only existed in the history books—where power rests on the pillars of demography, energy security, food security and military strength. To maintain its borders, its prosperity and its prestige in the world, the EU will need to be stronger. It will have to work harder, work smarter, improve productivity, innovate more and build alliances. Digital innovation is an important talking point, but one needs to look at the fundamentals first. The time is past for resting on one’s laurels, lecturing the world on European values and enjoying the American guarantee of safety for free.