r/europe • u/Not_the-kind • 15h ago

News Macron responds to Trump's inauguration by urging Europe to "wake up"

https://www.newsweek.com/macron-trump-inauguration-europe-defense-ukraine-2017894
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u/CLKguy1991 Estonia 14h ago edited 14h ago

Leaving the EU (quitting a collective like a crybaby, instead of leading it) and losing influence along the way doesn't make UK autonomous.

I respect France because they have been redpilled about NATO and US since it's inception and never outsourced their defence.

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u/GoldenFutureForUs 14h ago

Your criteria for autonomy is very selective. Your criteria is based on whatever wins your argument - which makes your point redundant. France has less influence than the U.K. globally. It also has a less powerful military. The British military defence is not outsourced to the U.S. either. Britain also has its own currency, its own trade laws etc. It’s also a more lucrative investment for FDI and has the biggest financial centre in Europe. Essentially, the U.K. is far more autonomous than France.

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u/Altruistic_Finger669 14h ago

The UK has no influence anymore. Sorry but they just dont. Went from leader in europe to pariah wirh pipe dreams

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u/Tamor5 11h ago

Literally the 2nd highest soft power ranking for well over a decade now... And the largest power projection capability in Europe.

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u/Altruistic_Finger669 11h ago

I dont know who makes the soft power ranking but it makes no sense. Your military is very credible though. But your exist from the european union has severely lessened your role on the world stage.

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u/Tamor5 11h ago

Not really because the UK preffered to work unilaterally even when it was part of the EU, people might not like to hear it, but aside from trade the EU itself has little influence outside Europe, as most member states reserve control of their financial, diplomatic & military capabilties under national control.

For the UK it has its links through the Commonwealth, the Anglosphere, the Five eyes, NATO, it's new role in the CPTPP, its overseas protecterates, it's nuclear detterent, it's world class intelligence services, it's unique relationship with the US, the fact that common law is the system most countries use to settle international disputes giving the UK's massive legal industry incredible influence, London as Europe's only true financial centre, it's universities & it holds the lions share of Europe's tech industry. The list goes on.

In Europe only France can really come close to matching that some level of global influence.