The moral foreign policy of solidarity with the oppressed, humanitarian aid and development cooperation is dead. Europe must return to traditional power politics, in which influence and interests are central. That is the core of the new book by Rob de Wijk, professor of international relations at Leiden University and founder of The Hague Center for Strategic Studies.
After the Cold War, Europe ended up in a “postmodern Valhalla” in which the safety of endangered people took center stage instead of economic security and territorial integrity. Conscription was abolished and investments in military capacity were drastically reduced. Interventions were designed to alleviate the suffering of people in Bosnia or Afghanistan, for example, without a proper analysis of what we wanted to achieve there, what military resources were necessary and how far we were prepared to go. A moral imperative was felt and led to action, but goals and feasibility were hardly considered. Stop that, writes De Wijk. A humanitarian disaster is bad, but it does not affect vital Western interests.
‘Het nieuwe IJzeren Gordijn’ is a well-thought-out book by an author who knows what he is talking about. De Wijk is well informed and knows many key players personally; it is a bit of a pity that he likes to share how smart and important he is.
De Wijk does not write it literally, but his analysis shows that the Netherlands, Europe and NATO must think about what they want to achieve in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. Should Ukraine win and if so, what does winning mean? What happens if Russia is in danger of losing? How long can the suffering in Gaza be ignored in the interests of stability in the Middle East and containing the influence of China, Russia and Iran? Will China invade Taiwan if the hands of the US are tied in Israel and Ukraine? De Wijk writes that too little knowledge remains of the threat of nuclear weapons, even though their use could become real.
The author advocates a policy of containment and deterrence against Russia. Europe must, among other things, significantly increase investments in military resources, reintroduce conscription and anticipate the loss of American support if Trump is re-elected. In his view, there must be a new Iron Curtain. If Europe does not want to become a plaything, it must become a player on the world stage.
Rob de Wijk. Het nieuwe IJzeren Gordijn. Hoe de machtspolitiek terugkeert in Europa. Balans, 2024