Former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi delivered a bleak assessment of Europe’s geopolitical position on Thursday, warning that the continent can no longer rely on the United States in the way it once did and must urgently strengthen its own economic and strategic foundations.
Speaking in Aachen, Germany, while accepting the International Charlemagne Prize for contributions to European unity, Draghi said Europe had entered a new era shaped by growing instability and shifting alliances. “For the first time in living memory, we are truly alone together,” he told the audience.
His remarks reflected increasing concern inside Europe over the return of President Donald Trump and Washington’s tougher approach toward trade, security, and transatlantic relations. Draghi argued that the United States has become “more adversarial and unpredictable” and warned that Europe can no longer assume American security guarantees will remain automatic.
The former Italian prime minister said the European Union must adapt quickly to what he described as a fundamentally changed geopolitical environment. He linked the challenge not only to security concerns, but also to Europe’s economic difficulties, including sluggish growth and an expanding productivity gap with the United States.
