The Crisis of the Transatlantic Order: Where Is European Security Headed?

Following the Second World War, the United States gradually abandoned its earlier, so-called hemispheric foreign policy and, by the mid-20th century, shifted toward a Europe-centered, transatlantic orientation. With the rise of the Soviet Union, the U.S. found itself facing a military power of equal standing, which—aiming to prevent another global conflict—prompted a more active role in international affairs. In 1947, the Marshall Plan was introduced, followed by the establishment of the NATO military alliance in 1949. During the Cold War, Europe became the clear focal point of U.S. foreign policy, resulting in a significant security dependence of the continent on the United States. After the end of the Cold War, NATO did not diminish in importance; on the contrary, it began expanding eastward—a move that many experts already considered controversial at the time. The creation of the European Union further deepened this duality: while Europe increasingly evolved into a self-regulating economic community, its security dependence remained intact. Amid the accelerating globalization of the 2000s, NATO’s scope of activity expanded significantly, with partnerships extending into Asia and Africa. By the early 2020s, however, it had become increasingly clear that the system had grown imbalanced, with its focus often drifting away from the most pressing challenges.