Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that Europe must integrate its defence industry and “move towards a European army” to “avoid depending on third parties” like the US for security.
He also pointed to Russia’s war in Ukraine as an example of the “threat to Europe’s security”, adding that “neither Ukraine, nor the EU, nor NATO have ever been a threat to Russia”.
In an interview with Spanish outlet Euro EFE, José Manuel Albares, who is part of the Socialist Party, said that with America’s intervention in Venezuela and its threats over the Danish territory of Greenland, the continent is “without any doubt” witnessing “an attempt to change the rules of the international order”, and that it was necessary for Europe to become aware “of its own strength.”
He said that the European principle was “never suing coercion as a tool of foreign policy,” and expressed regret that after “decades of a solid alliance” between America and the EU based on shared values, there is now a government in the US, that of Donald Trump, which holds “other positions”.
He said that there were “far-right forces” trying to “weaken” the EU, “undermine democracy” and “dismantle the European project”. He said that for most of the world, “the great hope is Europe”, as it can wield political power and “sit with strength at the table of the great powers”.
Notably, as reported by Politico Europe in the last week, European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius also expressed support for a centralised “European military force” of 100,000 troops.
“Would the United States be militarily stronger if they would have 50 armies on the States level instead of a single federal army?” he asked at a Swedish security conference on Sunday.
“Fifty state defence policies and defense budgets on the states level, instead of a single federal defense policy and budget?”
“If our answer is ‘no,’ USA would not be stronger then, what are we waiting for?”
He said that the bloc should begin to invest its money that it could “fight as Europe” and not 27 separate armies, and establish a “European Security Council”.
Moreover, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also addressed the issue of military capacity this week.
In a closed-door meeting with MEPs on Wednesday, as reported by Euractive, the President said that the bloc is working to become a “military powerhouse”.
“We are not a military powerhouse, but we are building up to be a military powerhouse,” von der Leyen said.
The debate over European defence cooperation has proven controversial in Ireland in recent years, with Tánaiste Micheál Martin telling the Dáil that no country in Europe was considering a European army, describing the idea as a “fictional notion…which no country in Europe wants or is considering.”
However, various European leaders have voiced support for the concept over the last decade.
In 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron called for “a true European army” to protect the continent. This call was later endorsed by then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In 2019, when European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen was Germany’s Defence Minister, she said that an EU army was “already taking shape,” arguing that this was a good thing. Her predecessor, Jean Claude-Junker, had called for an EU army as far back as 2015.
The European Union is also currently developing a rapid reaction force which includes ground, air, and naval components. This force is intended to deal with conflicts outside of the borders of the European Union.