Europe is a prisoner of von der Leyen: Ursula wants unnecessary armaments.

With Ursula at his side, the former central banker's rule of engagement is to lash out at Europe: in other words, to show off his unloaded bazooka aimed at China and Russia . When Draghi emphasizes that in the sleepy continent " progress could depend on coalitions of willing states," he makes it all too clear where his heart is taking him.

Indeed, it is precisely this invocation of " extraordinary actions " that fuels the escalation of war, which constitutes precisely the main obstacle to a regained competitiveness by the now-kneeling European giant. Therefore, exhortations to break even " long-standing taboos ," to shatter self-imposed limits by advocating massive public aid and investment, to sign an enhanced cooperation agreement, to grant the green light to an accelerated decision-making process free from unanimity constraints, prove futile. All these suggestions amount to mere chatter without addressing the immediate cause of the Union's suffering: war.

The EU—even Draghi must admit it— is the world's largest buyer of American gas. And, what's more, the Baroness, in her role as procurer, has taken on the additional burden of $750 billion in spending commitments with Uncle Sam. A bloodbath, euphemistically described as a negotiated trade agreement. There's reason to tremble at the looming monetary nightmares and the inevitable cuts that will eat up 5% of GDP, but Draghi doesn't think it's worth worrying about. Diverting unlimited resources to the American tycoon "is an opportunity." For Europeans, the price of US LNG is 90% higher than in the US, but—again—there's no cause for alarm. In the speaker's plan, the problem of unsustainable costs is solved by resorting to collective purchasing of strategic materials rather than the isolated hoarding of goods country by country.

After acknowledging the link between structural delays in new technologies, especially artificial intelligence , and companies' excessive spending on energy, Draghi performs a logical feat. He doesn't point to the only rational condition for recovery—that is, abandoning the war economy as quickly as possible—but instead extols the beauty of the "ability to defend oneself." All that remains, then, is to welcome the inevitable conversion of the welfare state into a warfare state because, in his view, "the line between economy and security is increasingly blurred." In addition to Russia, the war banker is also angry with "China's overcapacity ," which " has invaded Europe ." Given "its dependence on its critical metals," it is becoming difficult for Brussels to implement the sanctions Beijing deserves due to its support for Moscow. Draghi doesn't want to hear about normalizing trade relations with the East. He prefers ideological proclamations to tangible benefits and mutual convenience. We must quickly adapt to a self-destructive political capitalism and reduce the trade surplus that is currently favorable to the Dragon (it is growing by 20%).

Real dynamics, measured by economic calculation, vanish. The professional orator demands extra soul and condemns any weakness toward the autocratic bloc. It doesn't matter, as Draghi himself asserts, that Trump has "imposed the highest tariffs since the Smoot-Hawley era," that is, since 1930, further impacting business performance. Industry's self-interest may recede before the restoration of sovereignty on land, sea, and air, which requires the indefinite continuation of the suicidal trench economy. While a mentally disarmed techno-liberal elite, wearing only helmets, rejoices over Operation "Eastern Sentinel" and even hints at a global massacre over a few drones raining down on a dovecote in Poland, in Paris , before the unauthorized Elysée Palace, the Le Penist march resumes, in London tens of thousands of "Putinists" are marching, in Berlin the Russophiles of AfD are tripling their support. And unfortunately, this is only the beginning. The "steel hedgehog" that the Baroness in the ascendant intends to install in Kiev will soon dominate, with its grim, authoritarian face, every chancellery in old Europe.

FROM

Michael Prospero