Macron: We need ‘real European army’ to defend against US & Russia

The EU Army, or European Defense Agency, as it’s called today, has been in the making for decades and is still well Under Construction.

All roads still lead to Berlin. Paris just toes the line.

 

 

French President Emmanuel Macron has once again revealed the desire of EU true believers for the bloc to have full military capability, calling for a “real European army”.

Worryingly, Macron is seemingly now setting out America as a potential enemy, telling Europe 1 Radio: “We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America.”

Dawn of EU Pentagon: Brussels to build defence agency run by politicians playing soldiers

Donald Trump has called for Europe to take on more of NATO’s funding

 

AN OBSCURE defence agency could play a key role in greater military cooperation as the European Union pushes on with plans for an EU army.

Although virtually unknown, the European Defence Agency could be a vital element if the EU hopes to forge tighter defence links in the future.

Currently, the organisation has a relatively tiny budget, staff of just 130 people, and is run by diplomats not military chiefs.

But there have been suggestions the EDA could become the European equivalent of the Pentagon – the headquarters of the United States Department of Defence.

Germany: Trump victory to spur EU military union

German soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan (Photo: Wir. Dienen. Deutschland.)

 

Donald Trump’s victory, as well as Brexit, ought to speed up plans for EU defence integration, Germany has said.

“Europe needs common political will for more security policy relevance. The outcome of the election in America could provide an additional impetus”, German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen said in an opinion article in the Rheinische Post, a German newspaper, on Thursday (10 November).

“The Brexit decision and the election in the United States have set a new course” for the EU, she added.

She said it was “difficult for Germany and Europe, on the day after the election, to assess what to expect from a Trump presidency”.

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BERLIN/BRUSSELS (Own report) – At its summit, starting today, the EU is pushing ahead to integrate non-member countries into its global foreign and military policies. With the Association Agreements due to be signed at the summit, Georgia, Moldavia and Ukraine will have to gradually adapt themselves to the EU’s foreign and military policy. The association aims at enhancing the three countries’ participation “in EU-led civilian and military crisis management operations as well as relevant exercises and training activities.” Ukraine is already contributing soldiers to EU battle groups, while Georgia has contributed 140 soldiers to the EU’s Central African Republic intervention force. With its “Framework Participation Agreements” (FPA), the EU, for years, has been engaging numerous non-member countries – including Canada, Chile and South Korea – in its global policy operations. Resembling NATO’s “Partnership for Peace,” the FPA has not only the objective of attracting additional troops, but also of enhancing global acceptance of EU’s operations. However, as an EU think tank openly admits, Brussels requires a certain “degree of subordination,” from its cooperation partners.

EU-Association

With the signing of several association agreements at its summit that begins today, the EU is forging ahead with its integration of non-member countries into its global foreign and military policies, as is shown by the association agreements with Georgia, Moldavia and the Ukraine. Last March 21, Ukraine signed already the political section of the agreement.[1]

EU wants stronger military industry

BRUSSELS – The European Commission on Tuesday (24 June) laid out plans on how to boost the EU’s military and defence industries.

It wants to create a single market on defence, make it more profitable, and intensify and merge research with the civil sector.

Antonio Tajani, the EU industry commissioner, said greater defence collaboration is needed between member states to enable the EU to “adequately face its security challenges”.

Seven EU states create military drone ‘club’

BRUSSELS – Seven EU countries have formed what France calls a “club” to produce military drones from 2020 onward.

The scheme was agreed in Brussels on Tuesday (19 November) at a meeting of the European Defence Agency (EDA), the EU’s defence think tank, by France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain.