Reflections On a Darkening World

The world comes to be ruled by a logic of domination, where the strong impose their dependence on the weak, and no one takes Europe seriously. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, a French diplomat, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and professor at Columbia University, makes this conclusion in his article for the Politique étrangère journal.

If the 21st century can be compared to the 19th, then it is not 1815 that should be referred to but the last years of the century, when nationalism and the fragmentation of the world destroyed what remained of the framework established by the Treaty of Vienna.

The U.S. stance regarding the global rules of conduct has passed a turning point. The example of the world’s leading power inspires local or regional powers. Thus, Rwanda has started to gradually take over the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Arab Emirates supports the secession of South Yemen, General Haftar in Libya, and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan. Israel projects its power on the entire Middle East, from Iran to Syria, from which it carves out pieces of territory as it pleases.

The affirmation of force is the new organizing principle of the world. No principle of law tempers it, and the appetite for power and domination is no longer camouflaged in democratic universalism. The glory of the nation is enough. Nationalism, discredited by two world wars, has returned.

The model created by Europeans after World War II is essentially the exact antithesis of the world that is taking shape now. This is probably one of the reasons why President Trump sees the European Union as an enemy to be defeated. The new U.S. National Security Strategy fails to conceal the Trump administration’s contempt for a continent it deems to be in decline.

A large majority of nations adhere to the European vision that protects the weak from the strong and limits abuses of power, but they do not trust Europe as a defender of that vision. As the world observes Europe’s sluggish responses to the destruction of Gaza or the war of aggression against Iran, it doubts the Europeans’ political will and effective ability to bring their actions into line with their principles. And this doubt is destructive, for it leads countries to seek powerful patrons rather than unite around an alternative vision.

Europe is not taken seriously by the Americans, Russians, or Chinese. They are trying to divide and marginalize Europe. The USA openly supports far-right parties whose agenda is to weaken, if not destroy, the European institutions. The Russians organize disinformation campaigns. The Chinese are buying influence in various EU countries through an ambitious investment policy. Will Europe be able to break out of this vicious circle in which its relative weakness consolidates a balance of power detrimental to it?

The answer depends, to an extent, on Europe’s ability to place itself at the forefront of the technological revolution. Its universities train the experts and conduct the research required, but this intellectual capacity does not transform into economic capacity. Today no European company is a member of the small group of giant corporations that dominate the global technological revolution.

The opinion of the author, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, is confirmed by the panic that the restrictions imposed by Washington on the artificial intelligence systems from Anthropic have caused in Europe. Here is how some French politicians comment on this in social media:

Jordan Bardella: ‘The Trump administration suspends access to the latest Anthropic AI models for all non-U.S. citizens: this sudden decision reminds us that artificial intelligence is already a major issue of national sovereignty’.

Édouard Philippe: ‘By restricting access to Anthropic's most powerful models for non-Americans, the U.S. government chooses to subject AI development to its own logic of force’.

Yet AI development logic is that anyone who has missed the start of the race has fallen behind for good.

Source: https://www.ifri.org/en/articles-politique-etrangere/politique-etrangere/reflections-darkening-world