Editors’ Choice: Europe’s moral malaise
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Squaring moral standing with strategic demands has always complicated European affairs and the situation unravelling in the Middle East has again confronted the EU with this time-old dilemma.
With Donald Trump recasting the transatlantic relationship in combative terms, the assault on Iran has revived previous grievances: Europe was not widely consulted on the decision to strike Tehran (which top EU capitals would surely have resisted on grounds of international law and concern for the fallout), nor were contingency plans in place for further turmoil in the region.
The US administration’s opprobrium for the bloc has long been explicit, but key capitals – namely Paris, Berlin, and UK – were equally in the dark, left not only to rush to the aid of nationals stranded within range of Iranian and Hezbollah drones, but also thrust into the awkward position of at once stressing their military neutrality for fear of becoming target, allowing US access to ports and air bases, and unsure of how to welcome the news of an existential blow to a murderous regime whilst uncertainty abounds about Iran’s future.
Given the unanswered variables, the added complexity of war in Ukraine, the painful memory of previous conflicts in the Middle East, and Europe’s uncomfortable energy dependence (to which the continent’s entire electorate is highly sensitive), leaders found themselves predictably tongue-tied as they are bombarded with questions about their course of action.
The rhetorical minefield is laid out such that double standards, communication inconsistencies, and diplomatic faux pas are inevitable. Mixed messaging from Washington makes it all the more impossible to settle on a coherent position. As one analyst told me: ‘This is worse than a war of choice, it’s a war of impulse with no plan and no coalition.’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Washington on Tuesday, where he made a milquetoast plea for an end to the hostilities, his concern couched in economic terms. But the European call for de-escalation and resounding emphasis on diplomacy have so far failed to have much effect, with Israel extending its offensive to Lebanon and stoking fears of a wider conflict.
Europeans are left to wonder how much earth must be scorched to make the ground fertile for democracy.
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