.
The dynamic interplay between economic and security issues in Europe pose fundamental challenges for the future of the EU. The role of the US proves to be of crucial importance in order for the risk to subside and avert symptoms of a deconstructing Europe. At a time when both EU debtor and creditor countries have been entrapped into a partnership-in-debt that is very difficult to break apart without inflicting mutual damage, the study of both history and international relations reveals that geopolitical matters take precedence over macroeconomic issues. The US strategy for successfully managing EU’s debt crisis in a far from straightforward deteriorating security environment underscore the beginning of a new era in Europe’s economic and security affairs. That being said, as a consequence of the Ukraine crisis, Europe finds itself well positioned as a meeting point between: a) the US quest for developing a solid and durable rebalancing strategy to Asia and all that goes with it for progressively allowing America’s measured disengagement from Europe to take off, b) the necessity of establishing a functional balance of power in Europe to preserve EU’s integration process and deter Russia's new assertiveness, c) the importance of Germany’s regional containment through the emergence of a tripartite partnership with France and Poland under the US security umbrella.
In this regional setting, the US, by designing a dual strategy of Germany’s both empowerment and containment that does not entail Washington’s direct engagement, exercises its influence over EU’s primary risk factor while ensuring the strategic significance of maintaining a working balance of power in Europe. Washington’s attempts to rebalance Europe’s security system are linked to Germany’s more active engagement in the region’s affairs, with the US providing security guarantees but also setting limits over its contradicting policies for enhanced regional influence; thus contributing to transatlantic policy convergence. By both promoting Germany’s leadership role in EU affairs and contain Germany’s efforts for setting forward a potential fall back scenario with less Europe and more Russia. Above all, the successful linkage of Europe’s security and economic issues, serve the interests of a medium term US strategy for establishing a well ordered and resource-effective European balance of power that leaves the region more -and not less- secure.
On the whole, the American strategy concerns an endorsement of Europe’s rebalancing through a reset of its security architecture. The outlined strategy sets forward a new balance of forces where US allies participate in a framework which contains strong dilemmas in terms of their security, without, at the same, being able to distance themselves from this policy. Over and above, it boosts Washington’s efforts to achieve broader consent in supporting its policy against Moscow while effectively constraining Germany’s room for maneuver toward Russia. Therefore, it substantially contributes to consolidating two equally important pillars of the European edifice (peace and prosperity). Unlike the Cold War era, the European context in which the current balance of forces evolves encourages the progress of a win-win cooperation scheme and a positive-sum game for all parties involved. The locking mechanisms that have been set in place are demonstrative examples of US strategy for supporting an integrated Europe along with exerting its pressure on both France and Germany to continue taking steps in this direction. The area covered by Germany, France, Poland and Ukraine is now acknowledged as a key security zone for Europe and bounded by the US for its security. Ultimately, preserving Europe’s vast geopolitical significance and maintaining an unbroken and coordinated Atlantic West, signify operational prerequisites for advancing US strategy in Eurasia. In essence, the success of this policy will be to bind the US geopolitically to Europe more actively while a higher-degree of burden sharing of the security responsibilities among allies comes forward Needless to say, that the above strategy indicates a stepwise process for being implemented to the full extent.
In light of the above, the geopolitical balance of forces spearheaded by the US in Europe tilts the balance further, perpetuating a partnership rather than allowing it to succumb to its cracks. According to this logic, Europe’s pivotal player (Germany) will be required to play its leading role for the stabilization and development of the euro area. Simultaneously, as a result of the dilemmas placed by the US in the field of European security, the constraints that will regulate Germany’s European policy will involve lesser degrees of freedom over Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and the European South. Although the economic problem with regard to the Eurozone’s debt crisis is not going to be definitively resolved, unless over time, the period that comes after, will involve compromises and reciprocal concessions, sustaining even in a form of stand-by mode, the momentum of Europe’s integration process. The leadership role of creditors will find its outlet in taking further steps towards European supranationalism, promoting the monetary union (elevated role for the ECB) and the fiscal union (set a European budget). These developments would introduce true partnership, true risk-sharing and the only feasible way to resolve Europe’s growing democratic deficit and reverse the damaging effects of rising Euro-skepticism and poisonous nationalism. When all is said and done, the core value of the balance of power strategy that is being established in Europe is that it includes a win-win scenario and a positive outlook for all transatlantic community’s key actors.
Sotiris Serbos is Assistant Professor in International Politics at Democritus University of Thrace and Fulbright Fellow for the academic year 2014-15.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
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Rebalancing Europe: The role of the U.S.
Map of European Union
April 29, 2015
The dynamic interplay between economic and security issues in Europe pose fundamental challenges for the future of the EU. The role of the US proves to be of crucial importance in order for the risk to subside and avert symptoms of a deconstructing Europe. At a time when both EU debtor and creditor countries have been entrapped into a partnership-in-debt that is very difficult to break apart without inflicting mutual damage, the study of both history and international relations reveals that geopolitical matters take precedence over macroeconomic issues. The US strategy for successfully managing EU’s debt crisis in a far from straightforward deteriorating security environment underscore the beginning of a new era in Europe’s economic and security affairs. That being said, as a consequence of the Ukraine crisis, Europe finds itself well positioned as a meeting point between: a) the US quest for developing a solid and durable rebalancing strategy to Asia and all that goes with it for progressively allowing America’s measured disengagement from Europe to take off, b) the necessity of establishing a functional balance of power in Europe to preserve EU’s integration process and deter Russia's new assertiveness, c) the importance of Germany’s regional containment through the emergence of a tripartite partnership with France and Poland under the US security umbrella.
In this regional setting, the US, by designing a dual strategy of Germany’s both empowerment and containment that does not entail Washington’s direct engagement, exercises its influence over EU’s primary risk factor while ensuring the strategic significance of maintaining a working balance of power in Europe. Washington’s attempts to rebalance Europe’s security system are linked to Germany’s more active engagement in the region’s affairs, with the US providing security guarantees but also setting limits over its contradicting policies for enhanced regional influence; thus contributing to transatlantic policy convergence. By both promoting Germany’s leadership role in EU affairs and contain Germany’s efforts for setting forward a potential fall back scenario with less Europe and more Russia. Above all, the successful linkage of Europe’s security and economic issues, serve the interests of a medium term US strategy for establishing a well ordered and resource-effective European balance of power that leaves the region more -and not less- secure.
On the whole, the American strategy concerns an endorsement of Europe’s rebalancing through a reset of its security architecture. The outlined strategy sets forward a new balance of forces where US allies participate in a framework which contains strong dilemmas in terms of their security, without, at the same, being able to distance themselves from this policy. Over and above, it boosts Washington’s efforts to achieve broader consent in supporting its policy against Moscow while effectively constraining Germany’s room for maneuver toward Russia. Therefore, it substantially contributes to consolidating two equally important pillars of the European edifice (peace and prosperity). Unlike the Cold War era, the European context in which the current balance of forces evolves encourages the progress of a win-win cooperation scheme and a positive-sum game for all parties involved. The locking mechanisms that have been set in place are demonstrative examples of US strategy for supporting an integrated Europe along with exerting its pressure on both France and Germany to continue taking steps in this direction. The area covered by Germany, France, Poland and Ukraine is now acknowledged as a key security zone for Europe and bounded by the US for its security. Ultimately, preserving Europe’s vast geopolitical significance and maintaining an unbroken and coordinated Atlantic West, signify operational prerequisites for advancing US strategy in Eurasia. In essence, the success of this policy will be to bind the US geopolitically to Europe more actively while a higher-degree of burden sharing of the security responsibilities among allies comes forward Needless to say, that the above strategy indicates a stepwise process for being implemented to the full extent.
In light of the above, the geopolitical balance of forces spearheaded by the US in Europe tilts the balance further, perpetuating a partnership rather than allowing it to succumb to its cracks. According to this logic, Europe’s pivotal player (Germany) will be required to play its leading role for the stabilization and development of the euro area. Simultaneously, as a result of the dilemmas placed by the US in the field of European security, the constraints that will regulate Germany’s European policy will involve lesser degrees of freedom over Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and the European South. Although the economic problem with regard to the Eurozone’s debt crisis is not going to be definitively resolved, unless over time, the period that comes after, will involve compromises and reciprocal concessions, sustaining even in a form of stand-by mode, the momentum of Europe’s integration process. The leadership role of creditors will find its outlet in taking further steps towards European supranationalism, promoting the monetary union (elevated role for the ECB) and the fiscal union (set a European budget). These developments would introduce true partnership, true risk-sharing and the only feasible way to resolve Europe’s growing democratic deficit and reverse the damaging effects of rising Euro-skepticism and poisonous nationalism. When all is said and done, the core value of the balance of power strategy that is being established in Europe is that it includes a win-win scenario and a positive outlook for all transatlantic community’s key actors.
Sotiris Serbos is Assistant Professor in International Politics at Democritus University of Thrace and Fulbright Fellow for the academic year 2014-15.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
