During a debate on the “Plan for the Defence of the Union and Future of Europe” on Tuesday 4 July, MEPs were divided.
Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany) and Ioan Mircea Pascu (S&D, Romania) welcomed the recent European Commission proposals on the defence fund. The former explained, “We support this package because it is a good incentive for strengthening the defence of member states”. He also argued, “this involves improving the use of our resources and providing our soldiers with the best possible equipment”. Speaking on behalf of ALDE, Hilde Vautmans from Belgium went even further and called for a European army. She explained, “We have counted on the US for too long to provide us with is that security… we need a genuine European defence and European Army. Even if this is going too far for some people, it is in response to European citizens’ expectations”.
Some MEPs, however, particularly those from the GUE/NGL and Greens/EFA groups, said that they had more pressing concerns than a Europe of defence”. Sabine Lösing (GUE, Germany), the rapporteur, regretted, “people regard security as social security and on that point Europe is doing too little”. She added that, “citizens want a democratic, peaceful and social Europe. Let’s take action in this direction and abandon the arms race in which the EU has thrown itself”. Reinhard Bütikofer, also from Germany, (Greens/EFA) thought that it was nonsensical that when Commissioner Gunther Oettinger is saying that the EU budget is short of money, they were able to find some everywhere else to finance defence.
In his customary way, Geoffrey Van Orden (United Kingdom), speaking on behalf of the ECR pointed out that it was up to NATO to ensure European defence and that the 23 of the 28 EU member states are also allies. He asked, “why create autonomous defence structures?” He added that the Commission project was in fact “political integration”. Bill Etheridge (EFDD, United Kingdom), said that instead of dreaming, member states should spend 2% of the GDP on defence, as requested by NATO. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)