The EU Must Reform Its Institutions to Meet Growing Geopolitical Threats and Member Interest
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/simontisdall. "When will the EU punch its weight in a perilous world? That’s the question countries eager to join should be asking | Simon Tisdall | The Guardian." May 31, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that while countries like Iceland and Norway are newly interested in joining the EU because of threats from Russia and Trump's America, the EU itself is too bureaucratic and slow-moving to properly protect them. The EU needs to fix its outdated institutions and become a real geopolitical power, or it will miss this opportunity to grow stronger.
Conclusion
The EU needs urgent institutional reform to effectively respond to escalating threats from Russia and the US, and to capitalize on renewed interest from potential member countries
Premises
- Twin threats from Russia (hybrid warfare, cyber-attacks, sabotage) and the US (Trump's territorial ambitions in Greenland) are creating new security challenges for European nations
- Northern countries like Iceland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands are showing renewed interest in EU membership due to these external threats
- The EU's current responses to geopolitical challenges have been inadequate - uncoordinated responses to Trump, delayed support for Ukraine, and slow enlargement processes
- The EU's institutional structure remains sclerotic and rule-bound, exemplified by wasteful practices like the Brussels-Strasbourg parliament shuttles
- Opportunities for strengthening the EU through reconciliation with Hungary and the UK are being missed due to institutional inertia and national rivalries
- The EU lacks autonomous military capabilities and remains overly dependent on US-dominated NATO for security
Assumptions
- External threats are the primary driver of renewed EU interest among northern European countries
- Institutional reform is both possible and necessary for the EU to become more effective
- The EU should aspire to be a major geopolitical power capable of independent action
- Current EU institutional practices are inherently wasteful and inefficient
- A reformed EU would be better positioned to protect smaller nations from great power competition