Differences of opinion. It's a strange destiny, Europe's! Its unification responded to a precise objective - the resolve to be finished with wars forever, which twice stained it in blood and caused destruction far and wide. And now the EU risks being involved in conflicts again which are breaking out in places that European citizens must perhaps go and look up on their map. The attitude of the member states is not uniform - with some cutting back on their armed forces and others believing it necessary to develop them. The geographical position largely determines the attitude of each member state.
The existence of NATO, of common bodies and coordinated policies does not prevent the member states from keeping broad national military autonomy. Again recently, France adopted new reductive measures as part of its 2014-2019 military programming law - a naval base closed, an artillery regiment dissolved, five navy ships disarmed (see details in our publication Europe Diplomacy & Defence issue number 739). But France is a special case because it has nuclear weapons.
Yet this does not prevent the institutions of the EU - with the Parliament in the lead - discussing it.
An eloquent (and provocative) MEP. As is well known, the European Parliament has a Security and Defence sub-committee. Its leader, Anna Fotyga from Poland, has spoken extensively about her convictions and attitude. In Europe Diplomacy & Defence 739, she underlined the scale of the challenges confronting Europe in these areas and stressed her intention to raise, as part of her duties, the aspects involving “a threat for the security” of Europe. The EU must, in her opinion, dedicate more of its financial resources to defence, and Ms Fotyga expressed her “great concern” for orientations in the opposite direction.
With regard to Russia in particular, the EU must be “firmer”, in Fotyga's opinion. She has explicitly expressed “doubts” about Federica Mogherini, the next high representative of the EU for foreign policy, while adding: “but I note that she has the will to learn”. Recognising “a few changes over recent months” in Mogherini, Fotyga expressed the hope that this development might not be “a little too slow too late”. In Fotyga's view, “the dominant opinion in the EU is still the dream of cooperation with Russia and it's our role to modify this”. She concluded: “Ms Mogherini's hearing [by the Parliament] didn't fully satisfy me”.
We await with interest the next debate in the European Parliament's Security and Defence sub-committee, as well as the possible responses - direct or indirect - to Fotyga's statements from the new high representative and vice-president of the European Commission.
Ms Mogherini's clear ideas. Federica Mogherini has already told the Parliament (see EUROPE 11171) of her intention to exercise the aspects of her duties that were neglected by Ms Ashton - which means that she will at the same time be (a) vice-president of the Commission; and (b) high representative of the EU, not only for foreign policy but also as regards defence, in liaison with the national ministers. As for her orientation, she has stated that her priorities will be “to preserve the peace, prevent conflicts and strengthen international cooperation”. She has also underlined that firmness will be exercised when it is needed, and she has cited the case of the so-called Islamic State (Daesh), which is not a State and does not represent Islam at all, but is “a threat for peace and justice”.
Taking account of the truth. The real objective of Daesh (or Isis or Islamic State) is to produce as much oil as possible so as to become rich - the requests to the EU for arms and military support in these regions must not be taken into account because these arms nearly always end up with Daesh itself. The idea of Turkey's accession to the EU must finally be abandoned because Ankara's primary concern is the rejection of the Kurds, and Europe must not be involved in any way. In some member states, especially France, Muslim organisations reject and officially condemn intolerance and fanaticism, wanting to live in harmony in their host country. Even if fanatics have obtained citizenship from a member state, Europe must in one way or another reject these fanatics, who go off to fight with Daesh and then return to the EU with dastardly plans and intentions.
(FR)