The era of European innocence is dead. In a speech that vibrated with existential urgency, French President Emmanuel Macron has told the continent that it is facing a "Greenland moment"—a point of no return where it must either forge itself into a hard power or be swept away by the currents of history. Confronted by a "world in disarray," Macron argued that the EU can no longer rely on the American security umbrella or Chinese economic benevolence.

Macron’s diagnosis is stark: Europe is being squeezed by a double vice. To the East, a "Chinese tsunami" of high-tech, low-cost exports is threatening to hollow out European industry. To the West, an increasingly isolationist and unpredictable United States—led by a Trump administration that views the EU with "contempt"—has made it clear that the transatlantic security guarantee is no longer absolute.

The Handbrake Economy

The rhetoric is being matched by a desperate scramble for reform. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted that the bloc, despite being the world’s second-largest economy, is driving with the "handbrake on." Leaders gathering at a Belgian chateau are now discussing radical measures: scrapping the tangled web of regulations that stifle innovation, creating a true capital markets union to fund defense, and implementing "Buy European" mandates to protect strategic industries.

• Strategic Autonomy: The buzzword is no longer just talk; it is survival. From defense procurement to microchip manufacturing, Europe is attempting to build the capacity to stand alone if necessary.
• The Munich Test: As leaders head to the Munich Security Conference, the mood is grim. The conversation has shifted from "partnership" to "self-preservation," with the realization that soft power is useless in a world of hard knocks.

A Civilization at the Crossroads

Macron’s warning is a call to abandon the comfortable illusions of the post-Cold War order. "If we do not decide for ourselves, we will be swept away," he cautioned. The choice facing Brussels, Berlin, and Paris is brutal: unify into a geopolitical titan capable of punching its weight, or become a playground for the superpowers.

Europe’s "moment of awakening" has arrived. The question is whether the giant can wipe the sleep from its eyes before it is too late.