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analysis
13:00
This is not the first time the continent has faced a geopolitical crisis and survived.
by peter franklin
Houthi rebels have been active in Yemen this week.Credit: Getty
A large-scale eastern blockade is slowly moving forward, cutting off trade routes between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. The Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea has been the scene of multiple skirmishes as Western navies struggle to protect the free passage of cargo ships from attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Meanwhile, in the Gulf, Iran also threatens another strategic bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz. In the north, war is raging between Russia and Ukraine, and a new Iron Curtain is falling. Thus, an alarming scenario is emerging, with a string of hostile and war-torn nations stretching from the White Sea in the Arctic through the Black Sea to the Red Sea.
Is there any hope for Europe to survive such a geopolitical disaster? Yes, because it’s not the first time.
In 1453, the fall of Constantinople tore East from West, but Europe did not collapse. The Ottoman conquest may have marked the end of the Byzantine Empire, but for the rest of Christendom this catastrophe can be seen as the beginning of their rise to global greatness. The victory of the West was the most extraordinary counterattack in history, and Europeans today should draw inspiration from it.
One important thing is the need to embrace reform. From the 15th century onwards, Europe was reshaped in the upheavals of the Renaissance, Reformation, Counter-Reformation, technological revolution, cultural revolution, and political revolution. While non-European powers stagnated, the Old Continent rebuilt rotten institutions and in the process built the modern world. In the 21st century, we must be relentlessly intolerant of corruption, starting with the bloated and burdensome obstacle of the European Union. Brexit alone is not enough. Europe needs Eurexit.
Moreover, when surrounded by hostile forces in the east, our ancestors turned to the west instead. There are currently no new continents to be discovered, but the answer to Europe’s vulnerability is not to move away from America, but to move closer to it. In an increasingly multipolar world, where more is dividing Western countries rather than uniting them, now is the time to renew the Western alliance. This should start with Europe taking more responsibility for its own defense. The old formula of disrespecting Americans is unsustainable. A transatlantic partnership must be one of equals.
Then we must end our economic dependence on anti-Western regimes. In the late Middle Ages, Europeans became masters of generating electricity using wind and water power, laying the foundations for the Age of Discovery and the industrial revolution that followed. Today, we must regain our energy independence and permanently break ties with Russia and the Middle East’s fossil fuel tyranny. We also have to reduce our dependence on goods from places that don’t really like us. Artificial intelligence and robotics are giving Western countries the opportunity to literally reinvent manufacturing, re-landing industries they have inadvertently given away to other parts of the world.
Of course, in Europe’s past there are reasons not only for pride, but also for shame. Nevertheless, at one of history’s great junctures, Europeans turned adversity into advantage. Do you have a vision to start over?
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