President Biden must realize that the European train has run on

President Biden must realize that the European train has run on

Can Europe sit back in the White House with Joe Biden? That time seems to have passed. A part of the House of Representatives will press on Wednesday in a debate with Minister Blok for more European assertiveness and independence but will have to overcome a lot of scepticism.

 

Can Europe sit back in the White House with Joe Biden? Image AFP

With Joe Biden, the US will have a president atypical for this time, who still feels the kinship with Europe deeply. "Without a stable alliance, everything falls apart," he told a European audience in Munich last year.

 

But four years of Trump have convinced many Europeans that autopilot is no longer enough. 'Strategic autonomy' is the catch-all term that reflects European aspirations. More than ever before, Europe must learn to think for itself, defend itself in many areas - and act. The latter if possible with the Americans, if necessary without!

 

Financial

Thinking about this has started in Europe in many areas: from defence cooperation to the protection of strategic industries, from digital sovereignty to relations with China. But the real revolution this year was financial: the EU took the biggest step in ages by financing its multi-billion-dollar recovery plan through massive joint issuance of debt.

 

However, this European revolution seems to be passing by The Hague - to the annoyance of politicians who were once regarded as Atlantic cannons. 'If I listen to the general political considerations, it is not about this at all', former Navo chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer recently said about these European developments. 'But you also have to let this debate play a role in society.'

 

It remains to be seen whether the major European developments are central this week in the budget debate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not as far as the cabinet is concerned, anyway. Minister Stef Blok told NRC last week that the common thread running through his policy is financial strength, from which the Netherlands derives influence.

 

Hollowed out

Bram van Ojik (GroenLinks) read it in amazement. It confirms his impression that the dominant position of Blok's ministry has been completely eroded by Finance and Economic Affairs. 'Even the letters we receive about the European recovery plan have been written by those ministries.' GroenLinks, along with D66 and the PvdA, belongs to the minority that believes that, regardless of who is in the White House, Europe's capacity to act and autonomy should be strengthened. But deep Euro scepticism reigns on the left and right flanks.

 

The fact that Europe is the elephant in the Chamber, and especially in the hands of financial specialists, has a history. According to Jozias van Aartsen (VVD), who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1998 to 2002, the tone of the current European policy - 'it's nice and nice, but it costs too much money' - has been set since Frits Bolkestein in the year's Ninety. And in 2005 the Dutch rejected the European Constitution. 'Prime Minister Rutte operates within narrow margins,' admits Van Aartsen. Nevertheless, these times - with China as the major challenger to the liberal order and an unpredictable America - require a fundamental debate: "Where are we going with the European Union in the coming years?"

 

Defence

Especially in the field of defense, steps must be taken, says Van Aartsen. Decisions about military operations 'you have to partially relinquish', he thinks. 'Yes, that's a non-starter at the Binnenhof, but it has to be done. These debates must be conducted, also at the European level. '

 

The government underlines the importance of European defence cooperation but is very careful in working towards more European autonomy. A proposal by De Hoop Scheffer's advisory council to support an (informal) European Security Council was considered too bold. Minister Blok hopes for a 'return of American leadership'.

 

His party colleague Sven Koopmans supports that line. "Without the Americans, we cannot defend Europe at the moment, and we are not coming," he said recently. "We shouldn't give the impression that we plan to do it alone." The experienced Biden adviser William Burns (guest at the Netherlands Atlantic Association) was indeed sceptical about European strategic autonomy.

 

Strategic autonomy

But also for President Biden: the European train has continued in recent years. "Let's prevent a sterile debate," said EU foreign chief Borrell on Tuesday. “In essence, a capable and strategically aware EU is the best partner for the US and also what Europe itself needs. That is why we must continue our work to increase Europe's strategic autonomy. '

 

And the Netherlands in Europe

 

Van Aartsen believes that this will have to recognize the value and power of Franco-German cooperation if it is to play a role in the major changes that await the EU in the coming years. 'My colleague at the time, Hubert Védrine, called the relationship between Paris and Berlin religion d’etat.' The Hague must 'fully focus on the Berlin-Paris axis' to assert its influence.

 

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Rutte started the negotiations on the recovery plan with a sneer at Paris and Berlin - and with the premise that the Netherlands is against donations. Since then, the party has been to the right of the VVD, where Geert Wilders (PVV) does not stop drumming on the fact that the final European recovery plan contains 390 billion Euros in subsidies ('gifts', according to Wilders).

 

Van Aartsen: 'There has been no fighting for Europe in the political arena for a long time. Saying that you are against donations and then agree - that creates an expectation among the people, who are then disappointed! That is a risky European strategy.'