Europe, An Exemplary Geopolitical Representation of Weakness

Introduction

A spectre is haunting Europe! This time it is has no ideological or messianic connotation. A spectre of weakness is haunting Europe throughout all its political and geopolitical structures. There are few indicators of positive strategic progress if any on any part of the continent. Individual governments and the supranational European Union seem to be adrift and bereft of relevance. Recent refocusing of media attention on the age-long migration on the Mediterranean Sea only reopened old wounds of malaise and confusion among the ruling elite. By the way this is not a historically isolated outcome rather is the finals of a long chain of regressive profiteering and violent geopolitical enterprise. Centuries old enterprise!

Surge towards Irrelevance

The last 2 decades which coincided with first experience of a world devoid of USSR confounded European capitals in the ubiquitous absence of clear strategy of long-term effects. Rather European subservience to Washington DC reinforced robustly. This can be perceived in the number of perpetual wars joined by United States and unequivocal European support since the end of USSR. What did Europe get out of these infantile machinations? 

In the area of seeking relationship normalisation and rapprochement, it equally became obvious that Europe is in a weaker position compared to the so-called isolated states. With Washington DC rushing vigorously to re-engage with former enemies in order to dominate their markets, Europe is left wagging its tail. Cuba is almost done and dusted with US business rearing its head. Recent past deal between Tehran and P5+1 has seen immediate positive moves from Washington DC, Moscow and Beijing while Brussels/Berlin still fiddle inconclusively with Athens and Minsk 2.

Incomplete Narrative of Club Med

The storyline from neoliberal Anglo media is that southern European countries are not doing enough to stem migration as they either refuse to deploy adequate resources or that they are incompetent. Of course the job of security Fortress Europe is not about collective security but an operation outsourced to frontline states while the northern states sleep as NATO turns Asian in Afghanistan. This is testament to European poverty of history, haemorrhaging of strategic leadership and sheer abuse of geopolitical awareness.

The amnesia in Brussels/Berlin is encouraged by an equal level of hopelessness of southern state elite in Greece and Italy who refuse to position national interest through leveraging migration issue to extract concessions. A rough perusal of the Mediterranean Sea opens a vista of free movement from the east and from the south where cash-strapped coastguards can only encourage leaking boats onward and away from their country’s territorial waters. The spatial concentrations represent 2 things; medium/long-term instability and economic regression.

The fact that EU has no comprehensive and practical solutions for this critical issue is an indication of grave weakness. In summary southern Europe coastline and important coastal cities are potential targets of clouded sponsors. It shows in a crude way inflation of confusion which is explained away by inconsistencies underpinned by austerity. Fact is Europe is not competing and cannot compete positively in this climate. EU is too weak to play and may confront renewed downgrading in the face of geopolitical reconfiguration taking place. Similar game is playing out for Saudi Arabia as she embarks on ill-fated & unprovoked attack on Yemen which has only one outcome, self-demotion and self-devaluation.

Long Duree An Enemy in Europe

Emergence of the complex problem that generates migrants from the Global South was an inevitable historical development waiting to unfold at the right time. In the case of Africa the seamless continuum of colonialism almost immediately after centuries – long ignominious (west & Arab) slave trade was catastrophic. The narrative of an expectant positive delivery of so-called independence is a sham with no historical parallel and devoid of intellectual credibility. 

No power gives it up willingly as successful geopolitical voyages are not done as isolates. Independence was nothing different from debt restructuring this time between colonial project manager and the new underlines who are bereft of popular legitimacy. Where such legitimacy existed it was snuffed out with anti-communist flourish. Read Vijay Prashad The Poorer Nations A Possible History of the Global South.

Even before 1960 till 1992 different parts of Africa were lit up with liberation wars funded and managed by Europe and later by United States further destabilising the continent. This is checkmating by military means. The idea that the new independence leaders have room to maneuvere in the geopolitical jungle mastered with sophisticated élan by so-called great powers of Europe is naïve and preposterous. Read Vijay Prashad The Darker Nations A Peoples History. Surely there is enough responsibility to go round. In the last decade or so United States has booted Europeans out and inserted herself as the undisputed harbinger of instability via USAFRICOM in the bid to contain China.

Europe paid specific attention to Africa, Asia and South America as pet economic projects where resources are exploited for pittance for the benefit of European metropolis and as great disincentive discourage progressive and competitive national developments. Since the 1970s Lome Convention EU-ACP trade deals continue to be implemented today for the most part essentially blocking African access to European markets. This is economic warfare a la recent attack on Russia with greater firepower! 

Remember the 1980s concerted destabilisation with twin weapons of structural adjustment and austerity which summarily executed Africa economically by IMF & World Bank. Take a cursory look at the time line; 1960s – independence, 1970s – consolidation of friendly military rule, 1980s – structural adjustment & austerity, 1990s – HIV/AIDS settle down.

In these climates no economy/polity can develop or stabilise to retain most of her young people, her trained human resources and her future management capacity. They will seek for greener pastures where they will be procured on the cheap. Europe is the first destination. Europe never wanted to be an honest partner of progressive development of Africa. 

So Go For Ghaddafi

In 2011 Europeans led the chorus for renewed colonisation of Africa starting with Libya. From geopolitical and collective security standpoints, the project was questionable in that apart from physical destruction of a state, instability takes over. Once again you can see the strategic short-sightedness of European leadership. With direct export of democracy via F16 and Rafale bombers, the last bulwark against African insecurity is removed and North Africa coastal borders collapsed. 

It is interesting that the current leaderships across North Africa even in Algeria are committed to national security while giving free pass to moving targets; people traffickers, migrants and gun runners alike. If Europe is interested in strategic security, the capitals would have appreciated the strong positive link between stability of states and her own security. In the absence of such conclusion with rather gusto participation in destabilising North Africa, Syria, Ukraine and of course economic raping of southern Europe; Mediterranean Sea becomes an unpoliced and unprotected lake of convenience.  

Conclusion

While Europe limps around confronted with grand confusion in the face of complex problems such as migrants across the Mediterranean Sea, austerity and its merits has laid bare its contradiction. When only the powerful and rich benefit from austerity, the common suffers and states suffer geometrically. Security of Europe can only be guaranteed when her leaders appreciate the reality of strong positive link between it and other states stability.  Unfortunately, there may be no time left for Europe to rise to the challenge if Athens is a proxy or indicator of effective response of a supranational vehicle of power. Athens continues to parry Brussels/Berlin hollow demarche!