Europe Reflects on V-E Day Amidst Rising Transatlantic Tensions

Nearly a year ago, the solemn ceremony on Normandy’s beaches commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day symbolized the strong alliance between the United States and Europe, united in their commitment to uphold freedom and confront challenges like the conflict in Ukraine.

During this event, then-President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stood alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing NATO’s unprecedented unity and pledging unwavering support for Ukraine, warning that abandoning the alliance could lead to broader subjugation.

Reflecting under the Normandy sun on the young soldiers who braved Nazi gunfire on June 6, 1944, one could draw a powerful connection between their courage in defending liberty and today’s struggle against a modern authoritarian threat.

For President Biden, this contemporary menace is embodied by Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, whose responsibility for the war in Ukraine has been downplayed by his predecessor in the United States, a leader often criticized for cozying up to autocrats and undermining transatlantic institutions.

Few would have anticipated such a rapid unraveling of cherished transatlantic bonds less than a year ago, or that the 80th V-E Day anniversary would find many Europeans uncertain whether to view the United States as an ally or adversary.

Rima Abdul-Malak, a former French culture minister, described this shift as stark, noting that the former U.S. president has dominated global consciousness, leaving the world alarmingly changed.

The turbulent onset of the recent American presidency has shaken the postwar order that fostered unparalleled peace and prosperity across the Atlantic, raising questions about the shape of the emerging global order.

Abrupt upheavals are not new in history. Four years before the Normandy invasion, French poet Paul Valéry reflected on France’s swift defeat in 1940, warning that humanity faced terrifying and unstoppable forces.

Today, similar uncertainties prevail worldwide. Trust has eroded and anxiety has spread across both Europe and the United States, with Europeans even resorting to using burner phones during visits to America, fearing surveillance akin to hostile territories.

Controversial policies targeting universities, immigration, judicial independence, and free speech in pursuit of concentrated executive power have sparked concerns about the emergence of authoritarian tendencies, as noted by European political observers after recent visits to Washington.

A particularly stark moment came when the U.S. president publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February, an episode widely seen in Europe as a profound moral failure.

Shortly thereafter, French President Macron stated emphatically that peace could no longer be guaranteed on the European continent.

Since then, the American leader has oscillated in his stance toward Ukraine, attempting rapprochement while expressing personal reservations. A minerals agreement has been signed between the U.S. and Ukraine, potentially deepening American involvement despite stalled peace negotiations.

Meanwhile, Europe is moving forward independently. It is determined to shed what has been described as a subordinate status in the face of repeated insults from the U.S., including demands for territorial concessions and disparagement of allies.

Germany’s newly appointed Chancellor Friedrich Merz promptly met with President Macron in Paris, signaling a shared ambition for greater strategic autonomy from Washington. Together, they reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression and rejecting imposed peace settlements.

Discussions have emerged about a symbolic return to Normandy’s beaches on the 80th anniversary of the Third Reich’s defeat, echoing historic moments of Franco-German reconciliation such as the iconic 1984 photograph of former leaders François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl at Verdun.

These images remain among the most potent symbols of Europe’s postwar unity, driven largely by the Franco-German partnership that has historically propelled the European Union.

If this alliance intensifies, Europe’s rearmament as both a military power and a defender of the democratic values fought for in World War II could become a realistic prospect in the medium term.

French revolutionary Georges Jacques Danton famously championed boldness, a trait exemplified in recent years by the unpredictable American presidency, whose constant upheavals have left observers both captivated and bewildered.

David Axelrod, a key strategist in American politics, likened the public’s reaction to these events to a conditioned response, highlighting the profound impact of such political volatility.

Europe must respond with its own brand of boldness if it hopes to develop the strategic strength that matches its economic influence. Germany, historically constrained by its past demilitarization, holds a pivotal role in navigating this transformation amid a shifting global landscape where power often eclipses law and rules.

However, Europe’s unity remains fragile. The continent grapples with rising nationalist, anti-immigrant, and socially conservative movements—mirroring trends that propelled political change in the United States—and empowering leaders such as Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Giorgia Meloni in Italy.

Far-right parties like Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and France’s National Rally channel the frustrations of citizens who feel marginalized and overlooked by metropolitan elites, echoing similar sentiments across the Atlantic.

Despite these challenges, Europe’s collective memory of the 20th century’s horrors fosters a profound awareness of freedom’s fragility and the dangers of dictatorship and mass violence.

It was this historical consciousness that motivated the United States to send young soldiers to storm the beaches of France in 1944, sacrificing thousands of lives to restore peace to a devastated continent.

Writing from Vichy, the town infamous as the seat of Marshal Pétain’s collaborationist regime that facilitated Nazi atrocities, the author reflects on the enduring shame and the long struggle to fully confront this dark chapter of French history.

American historian Robert Paxton’s seminal work on Vichy France underscores the painful reality that, in times of profound crisis, preserving a nation’s core values may require defying the state itself—a lesson that resonates deeply as Europe marks eight decades since peace was restored.