Le Point: 2025 is the year of the death of the West and the isolation of Europe

French weekly Le Point magazine argued that the year 2025 should prompt Europeans to accept major sacrifices, at a moment when Russia, China, and now the United States as well, see the world as a sharing of spheres of influence.

The Former French Ambassador to the United States Gérard Araud argued that 2025 marked a historic turning point that upended the axioms that have governed the international order for decades, and plunged Europe into an unprecedented phase of isolation and uncertainty.

In his article, Araud warned that US President Donald Trump’s strong return to power was a declaration of a new transformation, as he was no longer as he was in his first term, improvising and maneuvering with some sharp maneuvers, but with little consequence, but turned to the implementation of an integrated project aimed at reshaping the American domestic and undermining the foundations of traditional Western alliances.

Internally, Trump has weakened the institutions of checks and balances, and externally, he has effectively announced the end of the idea of the West as a political and value partnership, treating Europe no longer as an ally, but as a competitor or even a target, as he has shown the imposition of tariffs, questioning Washington’s commitment to NATO, and explicitly supporting far-right movements seeking to dismantle the European Union.

In light of this shift, the Europeans have found themselves alone in a more dangerous world, and they aren’t prepared politically, militarily, or economically to face the challenges, due to their internal crises, their contradictions of interests, and their continued bet that Trump is just a transient phase, which has deepened their weakness and encouraged other powers, led by China, to exploit this weakness economically and strategically.

While there are signs of a European awakening, such as increased defense spending and a change in some economic policies, Araud warns that this response may be overdue to the slow European decision and the culture of compromise.

In contrast, 2025 has revealed China’s assertion of its position as a great power capable of confronting the United States and imposing a de facto balance of deterrence, at a time when Russia continues to seek to expand its influence with disregard for international law.

Araud concluded that the world is now governed by the logic of sharing spheres of influence between major powers, and that Europe’s independence is at stake, and that it won’t be possible to preserve it without great sacrifices and decisive decisions.