The European Union and the Idea of a “Power Europe”:Problems and Prospects. The Role of France

The confrontation with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine has led the European Union to increased dependence on NATO and the United States, which dominates the bloc. At the same time, a trend advocating for its “strategic independence” in the international arena has become more active in the EU. A number of representatives of this trend go further and call for the construction of a “Power Europe” that could become a world center of power, along with the United States and China. In this regard, special attention is paid to the creation of the EUʼs own military potential, which would be comparable to its economic and financial capabilities. Such a potential should be achieved by promoting “European autonomous defense”, which was initiated by the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. The article touches upon its historical and conceptual aspects, as well as the rather modest structural elements created in the 1990s and 2000s. It is noted that even they were able to appear thanks to the efforts of France, the most committed to the “European idea”, and the cautious but real support of its course from Germany. President Emmanuel Macron has proven himself to be the most consistent lobbyist for both the aforementioned “defense” and the idea of a “Power Europe”. The current situation on the continent has added supporters to him in the EU, but the prospects for the latter to achieve the cohesion necessary for implementation of this idea remain vague.