On Tuesday 6 November, France’s President Emmanuel Macron said Europe would not be protected, especially against Russia, unless there were a true European army.
“We shall not protect European citizens unless we decide to have a real European army”, he explained during an interview on EUROPE 1 radio, on the sidelines of the commemorations marking the end of World War I. “We must have a European army able to defend itself on its own, without depending on the United States, and in a more sovereign manner”, Macron added. In September 2016, when addressing the Sorbonne, the president had already suggested that a European intervention force should be operational by 2020 (see EUROPE 11870).
Macron took the view that “authoritarian powers (were re-emerging) and (re-arming) on the borders of Europe”. He mainly pointed to Moscow, saying: “Given Russia is at our borders and has shown it can be threatening, I want to build real security dialogue with Russia which is a country I respect, which is European”.
The president also said he hoped that Europe would protect itself not only against China and Russia but also against the United States. “When I see the president (Donald Trump, US President) announce, as he did some weeks ago, that he is pulling out of a major disarmament treaty (Ed.: the treaty on intermediate- range nuclear forces, INF) concluded after the euromissile crisis in the mid eighties, which had struck Europe, who is the main victim? Europe and its security”, he stressed (see EUROPE 12122).
A European army – in time
When asked about Macron’s comments, the spokesperson of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, said that, in time, the EU may have its own army. “We need to start from where EU competence is more obvious”, such as research, procurement cooperation, and the possibility for EU funds, he explained.
“I don’t think this defence identity will start with a European army and we will do the rest. We have to start with the rest and, at some point in time, probably at the end of this process, we may see something that people already describe as an EU army or an EU pooling of resources to make this EU defence identity more visible and meaningful”, he added.
Schinas pointed out that the European Commission under President Juncker had highlighted the “need for a meaningful defence for the EU” and made “proposals to start building gradually a more meaningful (...) defence identity in this difficult geopolitical time”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)