Europe’s slow reaction to war – ex-diplomat Teikmanis’s view on politicians’ and public attitudes

Europe should be able to play a decisive role in the war in Ukraine, but that is happening too slowly and with too much difficulty, because Europe is not yet used to a war situation, comments Andris Teikmanis, a former diplomat and foreign affairs expert, on the Latvian Radio programme “Krustpunktā”.

In his opinion, huge investments and public support are needed to restore military resources, but social issues are still much more important for society, according to the public media LSM.LV

“Society is also to some extent immersed in a kind of pacifism, and society cares more about the social aspects: state benefits, the 35-hour working week, free education, free medicine. Well, all these aspects: going away on tourist trips, low interest rates on housing. Well, that is what is important for society. Rather than taking all that money off the table and investing in guns,” says Teikmanis.

In the view of the foreign affairs expert, although Europe is moving forward and breaking many taboos that previously seemed set in stone, it is doing so too slowly.

“Unfortunately, this takes time, and in this evolution of events, when we feel we have to act decisively, energetically, quickly, in Europe it is all too slow. The good old Europe has simply shifted into first gear instead of sixth, and now it’s sort of chugging slowly forward,” Teikmanis continued.