Opinion: Is Europe Old News? The Decline and Fall of the European Empire

Sorry, Europe, there are new great powers in town. That could have been the headline for Mario Draghi’s chilling report last year, which laid bare the continent’s economic stagnation (Draghi, 2024). In 1990, the GDP per capita in the U.S. was 16% higher than in the European Union; by 2023, the gap had widened to 30% (World Bank, 2023). Investment in research and development lags far behind not only the U.S. but also China, Taiwan, and South Korea (OECD, 2023). Europe, once the vanguard of innovation, is now playing catch-up in a game it once dominated. Meanwhile, John Mearsheimer’s realist analysis cuts even deeper: the world is increasingly defined by the interactions of great powers, and Europe is simply not one of them, the third spot alongside the U.S. and China now occupied by Russia (Mearsheimer, 2022).

The Relentless Decline: From Pillar to Afterthought

The Second World War marked the beginning of Europe’s subordination to the U.S. While European cities lay in ruins, Washington seized the moment to entrench its influence through economic and military means. The Marshall Plan, framed as a generous rebuilding effort, in reality, tied Europe to American economic imperatives (Hogan, 1987). NATO, initially a defensive alliance, evolved into a structure that kept Europe dependent on U.S. security guarantees following the Cold War’s end (Wertheim, 2020).

Fast forward to today, and this dependency has only deepened. Draghi’s report highlighted how European industry is unable to compete with its American and Asian counterparts. The continent is losing its technological edge, with leading European firms preferring to develop in the U.S. rather than within the EU (Draghi, 2024). Wealth disparities further emphasize the gap: America has more billionaires, more dominant corporations, and stronger control over global finance (Draghi, 2024).

The broader economic consequences of sanctions against Russia have exacerbated Europe’s decline. Energy costs have soared, particularly as Europe cut itself off from Russian energy supplies and was forced to rely on more expensive American LNG (Emiliozzi, Ferriani and Gazzani, 2024). This has severely impacted European industry, which now faces uncompetitive energy prices compared to American and Chinese manufacturers. Despite these self-imposed burdens, Brussels continues to enforce policies that weaken its economic standing, with the latest rounds of sanctions further complicating any potential for economic recovery (European Commission, 2025; Imbs and Pauwels, 2023; Redeker, 2022).

In addition, the EU has repeatedly attempted to create a coherent independent defense policy but has consistently failed. Efforts to establish an autonomous European security framework have been obstructed not only by internal fragmentation but also by persistent U.S. opposition (Howorth, 2019). Washington has always feared a self-reliant European military force, as it would diminish NATO's relevance and challenge American leadership in transatlantic security affairs (Kupchan, 2021).

The Harsh Reality: America Doesn't Need Europe

JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference was a wake-up call. His blunt message? Europe must stand on its own feet (Vance, 2024). The underlying reality is that America no longer sees Europe as a strategic priority. Washington’s focus has shifted decisively toward China, with the Asia-Pacific now the centerpiece of U.S. grand strategy (Allison, 2022). Trump’s proposed trade tariffs will further weaken Europe’s already struggling economy, and his business-like approach to international relations contrasts starkly with the emphasis Brussels still puts on maintaining the appearance of a world order based on liberal values. Even in the case of ending the Ukraine war, both Europe and Ukraine have been cast aside, proving for those still doubtful that Europe is only useful when it comes to offering battlefield or economic losses for the U.S.’ proxy war—the peace talks directly between the U.S. and Russia have cemented this suspicion (Bezhan, 2025).

This shift is no accident. America’s geopolitical vision does not include a strong, independent Europe. Instead, Washington prefers a fragmented and subservient Europe, useful only as a military vassal and an economic appendage (Layne, 2012). The Munich Security Report itself acknowledged that while the world is transitioning to multipolarity, Europe remains hesitant to act accordingly and present itself as a ‘third pillar’ (Munich Security Report, 2024). Yet instead of taking steps toward strategic autonomy, European leaders continue to double down on policies dictated by Washington, even when they are demonstrably detrimental to European interests.

The Road to Nowhere

Europe’s current trajectory leads to irrelevance. The continent faces a stark choice: continue clinging to an America that sees it as disposable, or seek a recalibrated geopolitical role. Russia, for all its pariah status in the West, has extended offers of a new Eurasian security architecture (Putin, 2023). China, through its Belt and Road Initiative, has signaled a willingness to deepen economic ties (Xi, 2023). The question is not whether Europe should abandon the West but whether it can afford to remain an obedient but disregarded junior partner. If the continent does not redefine its position, its status as a secondary power will only be further entrenched—and eventually, it will be old news indeed.

Sources

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Image Source: Wikimedia Commons, Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz (23 June 2022).https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emmanuel_Macron,_Ursula_von_der_Leyen_and_Olaf_Scholz_%2823_June_2022%29.jpg