The Eurocrats Greatest Trick Yet. Clawing Victory From Defeat | Erik Jochem

Neutrality Studies · Feb 9, 2026 · 45m

Originally published on Feb 8, 2026.

Many people are talking about a collapsing Europe that is losing the war in Ukraine. But according to my guest today, the reality is exactly the opposite. The EU is in fact the war’s quiet winner, because the threat narrative provides it with everything it needs to transform itself into a state. One only has to look at how the EU has empowered itself by imposing sanctions on its own citizens and residents. The authority to define enemies, both external and internal, is a core element of state sovereignty—something Carl Schmitt already understood. And to…