Perspective Chapter: Brexit, Emmanuel Macron and the resurgence of the Europe puissance

Abstract

Tensions on continental Europe have become more pronounced in recent years following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Brexit required a reorientation of the European Union. With the aim of challenging German leadership of the EU, French President Emmanuel Macron revived the Gaullist Europe puissance – the concept of a European military entity to rival the superpowers on the international stage. Macron – a critic of Brexit and NATO – wanted a common defense policy for Europe, which guarantees ‘strategic military sovereignty.’ This chapter will examine two themes. Firstly, the proposed EU restructuring as a competitor of NATO will be discussed to discover the military threats of a Europe puissance when Putin’s Russia looked to expand its borders into Ukraine. Furthermore, the decline in Franco-German relations will be investigated since Macron’s concept provoked backlash from German leaders and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Exploring the Europe puissance allows us to ascertain the divisions between EU partners when NATO became Europe’s voice in geopolitical matters.