The European Version of Neutralism

Abstract

Is it possible to speak of a European neutralism? At most, only for a brief period during which the East-West conflict finds each of the two principal antagonists in the bipolar system glaring at each other. The so-called neutralist attitude of certain countries is then manifested in the basic endeavor to avoid having to choose between the United States and the So viet Union, between capitalism and communism. As the ten sion eases off and the centers of gravity shift, the choice thence- forward becomes less urgent, and neutralism loses its influence. Some people think that the independence asserted by France in her foreign policy should be deemed to be neutralism, or at least a reasonable facsimile. It is hard to go along with such an estimate. France does indeed seek to preserve her freedom of movement; but the fact remains that she is and will continue to be deeply committed to the struggle for Western values. France, quite as well as any other European State, cannot, moreover, disregard the reality of the Atlantic bloc, charac terized by a network of interrelationships of every sort from which none could pull free without further ado. Lastly, even if the European States lacked the conviction they do hold to the effect that such a community is necessary, a break be tween Europe and the United States, in other words any possi bility of European neutralism, seems highly improbable, since no substitute policy would be able to satisfy either the one or the other.