Europe today is paying the price for its efforts to establish itself. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, they lived in a state of great intoxication. Under the security umbrella provided by the US, they mobilized all their resources to create a welfare economy and society. Along this path, they became increasingly complacent and egotistical with the middle-class standards they established and spread. In fact, this trajectory was causing deep contradictions in Europe (if only they had looked at what Ibn Khaldun wrote centuries ago). Welfare was increasing selfishness, weakening social ties. The Homo Europaeus, individualized and egotistical on the basis of interest, was rotting away the social fabric from the family upwards. They managed to bridge this gap to some extent with their institutional structures. However, what they did not anticipate was the erosion of the connections between social and institutional structures, which, in the medium and long term, especially in the event of an economic crisis, would lead to problems.
The welfare societies of Europe appeared to have withdrawn from their colonies after World War II. But economically, imperialism continued. Imperialism was, in fact, a kind of new colonialism where the costs of colonialism were reduced. Strangely, the liberals in Türkiye who were pro-Europe did not see or show this connection. Neither France nor Belgium had fully withdrawn from Africa and Asia. Economic exploitation continued to deepen. In short, Europe continued to draw from the leftovers of the world. It was not just raw materials but also human resources. The bright and skilled minds from peripheral communities migrated to Europe to share in prosperity. On the other hand, the "White" Europeans, intoxicated with prosperity, brought in the "cursed of the earth" to work cheaply, doing the "dirtiest" jobs, believing they could control it forever.
One of their biggest mistakes was incorporating the Eastern European territories vacated by the Soviets after the Cold War. This brought not only financial burdens but also deep ideological mismatches to the EU.
Europe did not experience the 2008 crisis deeply. But they could not escape from what happened in 2019 and after the pandemic. The bills of welfare started to come to Europe one by one. This welfare was, after all, the product of classical industrial capitalism. Traditional European engineering could not adapt to new economic and technological standards. One of the reasons their institutions were exposed and became cumbersome was this. Economic fatigue and stagnation began to show slowly. Germany, which formed the dynamo of the continent from this perspective, finally got its share. They faced a migration hurricane from semi-central and peripheral worlds trapped in crisis. Moreover, communities subjected to the oppression of the new colonialism began to expel their "masters" by collaborating with emerging new powers outside Europe. The economic crisis further exacerbated the already worn-out social ties; institutions became dysfunctional. An indication of this is that their political cadres have been taken over by extremely unqualified individuals. Finally, European societies, accustomed to living under the military umbrella of the US and almost forgetting how to fight, received their first blow from Trump. Then they found themselves embracing the Russia-Ukraine war. They are still in shock about this.
In conclusion, the crisis caused by deteriorated social ties, dysfunctional institutions, and outdated economic structures, coupled with the cost increases and mismatches brought about by expansion, losses and demographic pressures in colonies, and war, squeezed Europe. The last dynamic, aimed at eliminating the pressure from the US at its foundation, caused the EU to lose its raison d'être and made it subject to a NATO pressure it could not handle. Today, we are faced with a fragmented EU landscape. The Baltic states, feeling the approaching Russian threat, are pulling Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into war. Romania and Bulgaria, facing the Black Sea, and Greece facing the Mediterranean, support them. Central Europe is divided. While the Czech Republic supports the Baltic states, Hungary and Slovenia oppose it. It is worth noting that the United Kingdom state is the patron of this group. This is the silent and deep British state mentioned in Liz Truss's confession.
What really matters is what is happening in Germany and France in the EU. Germany is trying to keep the ambitious policies of the Baltic, Black Sea, and Mediterranean ABs under control. They also take advantage of the procrastination of the Biden administration, which failed to get Ukraine aid through Congress and faced public backlash. But it must be admitted that Germany is in a very tight spot. Probably people like Merkel and Schroeder are lighting candles and praying for Trump before going to bed these days. But attacks initiated by France under Macron's leadership are much more noticeable lately. France, which I cannot call moderate at first, quickly moves away from its sulking policies. It has become almost as fiery as the United Kingdom. Macron insists that if Russia attacks Odesa and Kiev, France will intervene in Ukraine with its body. I don't know if they will. But one thing is clear: the main reason for France's deepening hostility towards Russia is Russia's military expansion into Africa, excluding itself. France is attacking Russia from all sides. Its support for Armenia shows this. But the goal here is to kill two birds with one stone. Because Türkiye is another force that puts France in trouble in Africa. Indeed, while Germany includes Türkiye in its air defense system, Macron does not want Türkiye to be included in the anti-Russia bloc. Other places France reached out to are Mongolia and Kazakhstan. In short, France is in a tight spot, and like the United Kingdom, it puts pressure on Germany and, indirectly, tries to take the throne of the EU from it. The strangest thing is that the biggest objection to Macron comes from his far right. Just like in Germany, the RN opposes Macron, just like the AFD. Jordan Bella's recent statements point to this. The extreme right is anti-war, while the center-right is screaming for war.
A strange world, a strange Europe...
