Reclaiming European sovereignty

As income and wealth shift from the West to the East, China will increasingly be able to challenge the US as the world’s leading geopolitical, economic, and technological power.

This transition will not happen smoothly. For Europe, the stakes could not be higher. The rebalancing of power that is already underway could determine the fate of Europe’s democracies, welfare states, independence, and way of life. If Europe does not prepare itself, it will be left with no other choice than to become a dependent of either America or China – Atlanticism or Eurasianism.

Europeans should not count on existing alliances and rules to offer much protection during this period. …

Only the EU can win back European sovereignty for the twenty-first century. If the task falls to traditional nation-states such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, it will fail. Reclaiming sovereignty will require not just enormous effort, but also a united front, and a new understanding of the relationship between the EU and its member states. The European project will continue to facilitate trade and ensure peace; but it must now also enshrine joint sovereignty.