There is little question that European households and businesses are preparing for a tough winter. It doesn’t take an expert to see where things are headed.
Nor is there any real doubt that governments want to tackle a crisis that has been coming for a long time. Only someone completely out of touch could ignore a problem that is hitting the core of European society.
Even so, not everyone appears ready to meet the moment and carry the weight that these times demand.
The summit that wrapped up on Friday seemed to get bogged down in quarrels and baffling bureaucratic disputes. Having EU budget talks on the agenda alongside the energy crisis only made the discussion harder.
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The familiar divide between the fiscally strict “North” and the more spendthrift “South” appeared to reemerge, at a moment when such a clash could hardly be less helpful.
It comes, in fact, just as Europe is coming to terms with the fact that the U.S.-Russia oil deal will not deliver the solutions the American president promised.
Of course, Europe lost faith in Washington’s policies and decisions long ago. The latest example is the German chancellor’s firm, public rejection of Trump’s proposal to free up some of the Russian assets frozen in Europe.
The reason is straightforward. A real solution to the energy crisis will only come when the wars in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf end. That outcome is not yet on the horizon, and it does not depend on the goodwill of European governments. Those governments, in any case, show no sign of turning their backs on Ukraine, despite pressure from the far right in Germany and France.
Still, the fact that these wars continue does not let governments off the hook. They are still obligated to find ways to ease the pressure on their struggling citizens. Yet some European governments failed to show that they truly understand how serious and urgent the situation has become.
Leaders will take up the issue again at the December summit, and possibly at an emergency meeting before then. For now, they seem focused mainly on short-term, patchwork measures that neither promise a real solution nor reflect a coherent plan.
There is no doubt that deals and compromises will eventually be reached. But they will leave the bigger question unanswered: What role does Europe want to play in the world, and how does it plan to get there?
Because on the global stage, big talk is not enough. You need the means and the substance to back it up.