As this issue of Futuribles goes to press, the global geopolitical situation remains extremely turbulent and the media are greatly preoccupied with the conflict in the Middle East. And yet the war that has seen Ukrainians fighting for more than four years on their own soil against Russia continues, and the threat to Europe’s security that has loomed over it for more than a decade (since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014) remains serious. After 80 years of regional peace, the return of armed conflict to Europe and the exercise of great-power violence marks a paradigm shift for the EU. Is war going to become a part of daily life in Europe and, if so, how is it to be incorporated into its governance (political response, organization of defence etc.)? Or is there a way to (re)construct a lasting peace between the EU and its bellicose neighbours or allies?
It is this alternative that Jean-François Drevet examines here, in the light of some past experiences that enabled a lasting peace to be maintained in Europe. And, after a brief reminder of the pitfalls that led Europe into a situation of ‘strategic negligence’, he explores ways that it could once again find durable security guarantees, either within the framework of the Atlantic Alliance or through EU solidarity and multilateral diplomacy.
The article is downloadable only in French. It is not available in English.
