The rearmament of a continent is expensive, and citizens must not only understand but also accept the financial sacrifices it will entail.
Failing to bring the public along risks souring attitudes. Voters already feel neglected after years of reductions to public services, and displeasure over high defense spending could fuel more discontent, prompting gains for far-right, pro-Russia populists.
Last year’s elections already saw a clear trend in this direction, with the populist right making gains across France, Portugal, Belgium and Austria. And their continued success would destabilize European security in much the same way the current U.S. administration is now disrupting America’s strategic commitments.
Over the decades, previous efforts to unify European defense policies faltered, largely due to concerns over undermining NATO and alienating the U.S. Instead, European integration focused on economic cooperation, and the bloc was heralded as a peace project rather than a defense alliance.
But an aggressive Russia and an unpredictable and newly antagonistic U.S. have forced a rethink. With the American security umbrella in doubt, Europe now stands alone. And if the bloc wants to defend its values, interests and people, it will have to take its own defense seriously.
Thankfully, the bloc is already taking muscular strides in that direction, marking a radical departure from the piecemeal advances in European security policy seen since the end of the Cold War. A European Zeitenwende — a watershed moment — is unfolding. Where joint procurement of military equipment was once seen as a far-off fantasy, joint defense financing has now become a central European concern.
