Honest Broker
BRUSSELS (Correspondents Report) After the recent approval of the draft constitution, the conversion of the EU armaments program has begun. It conforms to the specifications of the leading core-Europe powers who are honing their military competition within as well as without of the triad. For external opponents the EU intervention force is prepared à la Congo contingents. According to the recent EU compromise they will be under a joint command with its own headquarters which, for the moment, is established with NATO. EU combat troops are the goal. Thus the competition, accompanied by disclaimers, for hegemonic military structures between the western industrial states continues.
In preparation for the recently concluded EU summit, Berlin and Paris had tried for months to come to an agreement about their shares of the EU budget. The funds raised by all member states, among other things, are supposed to be appropriated to a ,,growth initiative", which entails the support of prominent industrial branches of the leading powers. The big armaments industries with their capital networks and competitive bidding, which necessitate British participation, are the driving interests.
Champions
While the ,,troika"of Berlin, Paris and London fought over agreements on personnel control matters, they had already agreed on the basic goals of their industrial policy the previous day. Appropriate measures accompany the continuing concentration of the big corporations by redistributing EU funds, which are to secure national influence of the promoted industrial giants ( ,,champions"). This policy leads to a cash drain on the smaller EU states and has mostly progressed in the armaments sector.
Mob Plan
The agreed upon military intentions aim for control over ,,several multinational battle groups"by next year. The plan for mobilization aspires to world wide preparedness within a maximum of 14 days. At their destination the strength of the intervention forces should suffice for autonomous warfare for up to 30 days. This clarifies that the presumed battle fields of the future EU wars are to be established not at the EUs borders but at maximum distances from the ostensible area to be defended. The aggressive character of the EU agreements is emphasized by the information that military deployments should, if at all possible, be conducted ,,by order"of the UN or occasionally ,,by UN vote". This language manipulation conceals the reservation to begin wars without UN resolutions, i.e. illegally and à la attack on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Complementary
During the summit, the radical militarizing of the EU alliance had been encouraged by Berlins foreign policy. Thus, the head of the Foreign Office, Joshka Fischer, stated during an interview that Germany will rise to full UN membership in the foreseeable future and ,,would then have to consider itself a European power with global responsibilities like France and Great Britain. An even greater participation in international military actions would, most likely, be a consequence." 1)This consequence of German great power aspirations increasingly comes in conflict with the USAs claim on leadership. To prevent the expansion of the European military apparatus or, at least, to delay it, Washington uses its allied partner in London. Ahead of the EU conference Great Britain opposed a separate headquarters for the EU military forces favored by Germany and France. The successful compromise emanates from a ,,planning cell"under the NATO umbrella. They say in Brussels that it is a matter of ,,complimentary structures."
No Interests
The disputes about the succession of the presidency of the EU Council demonstrate the increasing consolidation of inter-European and transatlantic competition which evokes political confrontation and serves as a reminder of the end of the 19th century. While the British participants sharply attacked the German chancellor because of his votes for the Belgian followers, Schroeder used a key concept as a pretext for Berlins foreign policy: Germany desires to be an ,,honest broker"and doesnt pursue ,,its own interests".
1) Fischer rechnet mit ständigem Sitz im Sicherheitsrat; Financial Times Deutschland 17.06.2004
cf. Background: Military constitution; Criminal