Sylvain Kahn, a historian, geographer, and professor at the History center of Sciences Po University, has written numerous books on European integration, such as L’Europe face à l’Ukraine (“Europe Confronts Ukraine,” 2024). He recently published L’Atlantisme est mort ? Vive l’Europe ! (“Is Atlanticism Dead? Long Live Europe!”, 2025), whose themes and ideas overlap with those of an essay released at the same time by senior civil servant and international relations expert Guillaume Lagane titled Géopolitique de l’Europe (“Geopolitics of Europe”). For Le Monde, Kahn and Lagane agreed to debate their perspectives on the future of the European model and the dangers it faces.

No one doubts that the Russian war in Ukraine and the return of Trump to power in the United States will have a decisive impact on the future of the European Union. It is more difficult to agree on the precise nature of that impact. How would you define it?

Sylvain Kahn: These two shocks present different challenges for Europe, despite their close interconnection. Regarding the transatlantic relationship, it is important to emphasize that the US and Europe have been allies for more than 80 years. Yet we are now witnessing the end of that alliance. In the view of Trump and his supporters, Europeans can be competitors, customers, or vassals, but never allies. Their rhetoric and policies – just think of the tariffs – leave no doubt about this.

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