The Munich Security Conference did not signal the collapse of the West. It revealed something subtler — and perhaps more consequential. The transatlantic alliance still stands, but it no longer runs on habit or sentiment. From calls for European hard power to American demands for reciprocity, Munich offered a reality check: the partnership is not dissolving — it is being renegotiated.

At Davos 2026, Europe pushed back against U.S. pressure under Trump, redefining the transatlantic alliance through sovereignty, reciprocity, and strategic resilience.

Can the West be defined? That is the purpose of this reading. With this essay, the author explores and gives his vision of the origins of the Western world. Nemo presents an interpretation of the foundations that have shaped the Western civilization over the centuries. Philippe Nemo is a French philosopher specializing in political and social philosophy. He taught at ESCP Europe and HEC Paris, where he lectured on political, social, and economic philosophy, and founded a res