The Canadian Prime Minister’s recent speech was a rare moment of clear political candor. At a time when most leaders prefer soothing rhetoric and carefully crafted phrasing, the Canadian leader stated openly what many understand but few dare to admit publicly: the world as we knew it has changed for good, and the international order of recent decades is in deep crisis.
The so-called rules-based order, on which post–Cold War stability was built, is rapidly weakening. International institutions are losing their effectiveness, the mechanisms of multilateral cooperation are being challenged, and economic interdependence is gradually shifting from a factor of cooperation into a tool of geopolitical pressure. Globalization, which for years was presented as a guarantee of peace and shared prosperity, has evolved into an arena of competition and confrontation.
Tariffs, sanctions, energy dependencies, supply chains, and technological restrictions are now being used as instruments for the projection of power. Geopolitics has returned to the center of the international stage under harsh—and often unforgiving—terms. Thucydides’ famous dictum, that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must, seems more relevant today than ever.
Particularly apt was the Canadian Prime Minister’s reference to Václav Havel and the notion of living within a lie. For years, many Western countries preferred to repeat that the international system was functioning, even as they could see it cracking. They took part in a ritual of pretense because it was easier than confronting the new reality. That era of illusions has now come to an end.
The critical question, however, is not merely diagnosing the situation, but responding to it. And here lies Europe’s great dilemma. What can Europe do to avoid collapsing in this new environment of uncertainty and competition?
Our continent stands before a historic choice. It can build a new, stronger alliance among the states that realistically grasp the new era and are willing to invest in collective power and autonomy. Or it can passively submit to the new reality, return to closed borders and national fragmentation, and allow ethnopopulism to gain ground and impose a logic of confrontation and inward-looking politics.
The first option requires courage and strategic foresight. It means a Europe that is more united and more decisive: a Europe with a genuine common defense policy, energy security, technological sovereignty, a strong industrial base, and a unified external presence. A Europe that will not be existentially dependent on the moods of third powers, but will be able to defend its interests and values effectively.
The second option inevitably leads to decline. It means a return to protectionism, competition among member states, suspicion, and ultimately the political weakening of the continent. In such a scenario, Europe will shift from being a geopolitical actor to a mere geopolitical space—one in which others will decide its future.
The Canadian Prime Minister spoke of a values-based realism. This is also the only realistic direction for Europe. Values without power remain empty proclamations. Power without values leads to cynicism and instability. Their combination is the only sustainable strategy.
For countries like Greece, which live in a region of permanent geopolitical tension, this debate is not theoretical. Security, energy autonomy, strong defense, and stable alliances are not luxuries, but prerequisites for national survival. That is why strengthening European integration is a profound national interest.
If Europe chooses inertia, the outcome will be predictable. It will find itself sidelined as others set the rules. As it was aptly put, if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. This is the harsh truth of the new world.
Nostalgia for the past is not a strategy. Europe must honestly acknowledge the new reality and decide whether it wants to remain a power or become a mere spectator of history. The great powers will continue to pursue their interests. The question is whether mid-sized countries will have the courage to act collectively and decisively.
This is Europe’s true wager in the 21st century: to stop living in illusions and to build a Europe capable of protecting itself, its societies, and its values. The answer we give to this dilemma will determine whether our continent remains a driving force in developments—or merely their backdrop.