Carl Bildt on Europe’s Defence Call

by Carl Bildt

Published: G-Zero, Apr 29, 2024

Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Sweden, shares his perspective on European politics from Etterbeek, Brussels.

Does President Macron in France, thinks that Europe can’t rely on the United States for its defense no longer?

That’s not really the gist of what he’s saying. What he’s saying, and I think he’s entirely right, is that Europe must do more on its own for its defense. The United States remains a partner of immense value. No question about that. But he points out that the United States is a country with global responsibilities and pressures for an increased engagement elsewhere as well. So the call for Europe to do more, to coordinate, to integrate, to strengthen its own defenses from President Macron. I think that reflects a sentiment that you find all over Europe these days.

Does the resurgence of the radical right in any way impair the celebration in Portugal that is 50 years since the coup, the revolution that overturned the dictatorship?

I don’t think it does. That was a joyous celebration across Lisbon and across Portugal on that day, celebrating that is 50 years, the return of democracy or the coming of democracy, to be precise. The only thing that was perhaps, discordant note was, some difficult in handling the legacy of the old colonial wars. Portugal did try to cling on the colonial empire in Africa for a very long time, and that was one of the reasons, by the way, for the revolution 50 years ago.