Europe: From populist "liberalism" to political degradation A weakening continent

How Europe has faltered. The very Europe that always positioned itself as a worthy geopolitical player. However, as became apparent during just a few days of Donald Trump's presidency in the White House, Europe (primarily the European Union) proved to be spineless and toothless. So much so that it began to abandon its own agenda, which it had previously marketed as a panacea for all the world's problems.

For example, the European Commission (EC) suddenly began taking steps it had previously viewed solely in a negative light. Thus, EC President Ursula von der Leyen proposed simplifying administrative procedures to enable more efficient operations for businesses and EU member states. Perhaps this initiative by von der Leyen would not have drawn such intense attention from certain European political elites had it not been seen as a pathway to rebooting innovation in crucial sectors such as artificial intelligence, green and quantum technologies, biotechnology, and others. This has led some analysts to critically assess such innovations, believing they would shift the agenda away from key priorities, like environmental protection. As emphasized, von der Leyen has confidently stepped on the very tune of her own "green and nature"-themed rhetoric.

In this regard, experts are generally not particularly concerned with the fact that von der Leyen justifies her plan by highlighting the need to address the industrial-technological decline of the continent in comparison with the U.S. and China. As noted in light of recent developments, for the past few years, the "green" agenda has driven all policy, but now the European Commission's leading slogan has become "competitiveness," with a focus on supporting companies and the European production system. In other words, European leaders are openly lobbying for a rapid shift in their own strategy, effectively acknowledging their outsider status in global geopolitics.

Isn't this evidenced by the ongoing government crises shaking France and the political instability in Germany? In Germany, the growth forecast for 2025 has been revised down from 1.1% to 0.3%. And while outgoing German Economy Minister Robert Habeck attributes the root cause of this to "geopolitical risks related to Donald Trump's actions," including the potential imposition of tariffs on European goods, the real weakness of the German government is clearly evident on the surface.

Meanwhile, there is undeniable panic among EU member states due to concerns about foreign interference in the upcoming European elections. Ministers from 12 EU countries have urged the European Commission to "use its powers" to create a special body to counter "foreign information manipulation." The authors of the appeal did not shy away from expressing their fear regarding the "escalating threats of foreign interference and disruptive interventions in public debates during key electoral events” which they presented as “a direct challenge to our [European] stability and sovereignty."

The subtlety of the above-mentioned lies in the fact that those who signed the appeal outlined their concern as the need for swift action supposedly due to previous incidents involving Russia and China. However, even for those not well-versed in the matter, it is clear that the real issue here is not so much the "hand" of Beijing or Moscow, but rather the actions of Elon Musk. In other words, the Europeans have effectively pitted Europe against the U.S., perhaps believing that by citing the Russian-Chinese "threat," they can "calm" Trump.

But these are, so to speak, details. Regardless of whom European leaders point to as the primary "interferer" in the continent's election campaigns, they once again sign a confession of their own weakness. How else can one interpret their almost tearful call for action in this context, while practically admitting, as representatives of the "ever-blooming garden," their inability to influence the citizens of their own countries?

In the context of the ongoing discussion, one cannot overlook Georgia’s decision to withdraw from further participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). It is important to remember that PACE once again overstepped by interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Specifically, PACE approved a draft resolution on Georgia, which called for postponing the ratification of the state's delegation's powers until April 2025, with the condition that this provision would only be lifted if "all political prisoners are freed" and the Georgian government agrees to hold a new round of "truly democratic elections."

Due to such blatant interference in the country’s internal affairs, the head of the Georgian delegation, Thea Tsulukiani, announced Georgia's withdrawal from further work in PACE. As she clarified, the adopted resolution is "unacceptable, unjust, and unfounded," particularly in regard to the demand for new elections, which she described as a "direct violation of Georgia's sovereignty." Tsulukiani emphasized that "agreeing to such conditions would be a betrayal of our electorate and, therefore, the overwhelming majority of Georgian society."

Thus, PACE has once again exposed its bias. The move made by the Georgian delegation clearly confirmed the irrelevance of PACE, marking yet another instance of the decline of European organizations into a pit of political and moral degradation.