Europe heads for Japanese irrelevance

Commentary feature. What is Europe's role in the world. The author contends that the view that the EU can measure its influence against China and the US stretches credulity. The US and China are the pivotal players in moulding the new global order.

The European Commission and the new EEAS may have ambitions but the Brussels institutions can project only as much influence as their sponsors in national capitals allow them. For now, that is not very much.

Europe has been showing all the characteristics of a small power – or rather of a series of small powers as the limited influence of the Union co-exists with the constrained power of France, Britain and Germany.