Transatlantic Relations a la Macron Could Make NATO’s Brain Death a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Whether reckless, a dubious gamble or a calculated attempt to shift European security policy writ large, French President Emmanuel Macron’s choice words describing NATO’s “brain death” has made a lasting impression. Beneath the surface, a larger risk to the transatlantic relationship looms in the Trump-like rhetoric. Macron’s increasing skepticism toward U.S. foreign policy is forcing him to spell out a different vision for European security. This vision sees less American engagement and seeks to reengage malign actors like Russia, all the while recasting them as less problematic to European security than the past several years would suggest.

The rhetoric doesn’t seem to be a bug — it’s built in. But the real problem is that if we remain on the current path, Macron’s take on NATO’s flatlining could change from a colorful metaphor about troubled times for the alliance to a self-fulfilling prophecy.