Been mocked as a fantasy many times, now...........
Brussels reveals vision for European army to supersede Nato
Plans for the foundation of a European “security and defence union” by 2025 to rival Nato as Europe’s military defender were set out in Brussels yesterday.
The blueprint envisages the organisation taking over from the established American-led alliance as Europe’s first line of defence in a political landscape changed by Brexit and President Trump. Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign affairs commissioner, echoed comments made by Angela Merkel that Europe could no longer “completely depend” on the US. The proposals, she said, were “linked to a certain unpredictability of positions in Washington” — a reference to Mr Trump’s failure publicly to back Nato’s mutual-defence clause in Brussels a fortnight ago.
Manfred Weber, head of the biggest bloc of MEPs in the European parliament, hailed the plan as the biggest leap in integration since the single currency. “Europe needs to grow up and to be able to defend itself. A common EU defence is a must. It is the second major development for EU after the euro,” he said.
Europe’s defence ambitions have been dogged in the past by British vetoes, German reluctance to commit military forces to operations and a reliance on the US in the Libya bombing campaign. Britain’s decision to leave the EU and Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 have revived enthusiasm for common defence structures; plans that have been accelerated by the result of the American presidential election last year.
Yesterday’s “reflection paper” envisages an EU military force that can act independently of Nato to run “high-end operations to better protect Europe, potentially including operations against terrorist groups, naval operations in hostile environments and cyberdefence actions”. To begin with the “EU would take more decisive action in dealing with threats and challenges falling below the threshold” of Nato’s Article 5 collective defence clause. In the longer term, the objective will be “fully synchronised” defence planning, shared intelligence and “agreed priorities” on military capabilities with “a greater level of integration of states’ defence forces”.