Europe's Vision

New Power

In an interview last Sunday with a German newspaper, EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker called for the creation an EU Army: "Europe's image has suffered dramatically," he asserted, "also in terms of foreign policy, we don't seem to be taken entirely seriously."[1] EU Armed Forces "would help us design a common foreign and security policy." The EU Commission President would like to see the EU play a more resolute role "in the world." Such an army would allow the union to “react credibly to threats to peace in a member state or an EU neighbor,” says Juncker hinting at the current power struggle over Ukraine. "A common army among the Europeans would convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union."

A New Thrust

For years, the creation of an EU army has been a standard demand of Germany's EU policy. "We have to reach a common European army … in the EU," Chancellor Angela Merkel declared already back in March 2007.[2] "The creation of a European army must be a long-term goal," confirmed Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle at the Munich Security Conference in February 2010. "The European project of a common security and defense policy will be a motor for Europe's further integration."[3] With his proposal, the Laureat of the Federal Cross of Merit, Jean-Claude Juncker,[4] is lavished with great sympathy across German party lines. Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen was quoted saying that the fusion of national armed forces to an EU army is "the future."[5] Norbert Röttgen (CDU), Chairman of the Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee declared, "a common army is a European vision whose time has come." Jucker's initiative was "welcomed", according to Hans-Peter Bartels (SPD), Chairman of the Bundestag's Defense Committee: "The past ten years have provided little for Europe's defense. A new thrust is needed."[6]

Core

Bartels recommends the promotion of an EU Army through ever-tighter cooperation between the armed forces of individual EU countries. "We should not wait for a master plan for all 28 countries, but rather begin with agreements between the nation states."[7] Berlin has been pursuing this strategy, since quite some time. If bi-national cooperation of the armed forces of individual countries can be expanded, joint combat units can be formed, which, then could serve as the "nucleus of a European Army," is how an associate of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) explained this basic concept at the beginning of last year. This approach would be helpful, because many countries are not yet prepared to relinquish a major element of their sovereignty in questions of war and peace.[8] In fact, over the past few years, the Bundeswehr has initiated numerous bi-lateral cooperation structures, setting this concept into practice. This is how the core of a future EU Army is being developed. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[9])

Headquarters

SPD politicians are simultaneously using Junckers current initiative to revive the demands they have been pushing - unsuccessfully - for years. Rolf Mützenich, Vice Chair of the SPD's parliamentary group, declared that this raises the question of whether the EU should not establish its own military academy, and whether the European Parliament should not have a Defense Committee.[10] Politicians in the SPD have been pushing these demands for years. Most recently, they were elaborated on in a position paper in November 2014, calling, among other things, for the EU to draw up a "white book," establishing a common military policy, and for increasing "the number of joint European maneuvers and exercises" to "further enhance cooperation among the various armed forces." A "Baltic Navy headquarters" should be established and progress must be made in "the creation of a permanent EU military headquarters, incorporating all of the management basic areas."[11]

Advantageous for Germany

The creation of an EU army is highly advantageous for Germany. On the one hand, it consolidates the composite military power of the EU nations, and on the other, it guarantees Berlin's decisive influence. At the latest, with Germany's imposition of its austerity dictate during the Euro crisis, against, at times, hefty opposition of a group of EU member states, it has become clear that the Federal Republic of Germany is capable of comprehensively imposing its interests in Brussels. In this respect, Berlin need not worry about having to send larger quantities of German troops to fight wars in the interests of other countries - a situation that has long-since blocked military cooperation at EU-level because of the protracted conflict between Germany and France.[12] Germany's position is further facilitated by the current focus of the power struggle with Russia, because militarily this also orients the EU eastward, where Berlin has traditionally expanded, whereas Paris' preference for interventions in France's African spheres of influence have been slumbering in the background. The anti-Russian orientation of an EU Army can ultimately contribute not only toward breaking the resistance of Poland and especially Great Britain, which have been unwilling to relinquish their military competence to Brussels, while pursuing a highly aggressive anti-Russian foreign policy. The EU is, however, heading simultaneously toward a hard, protracted conflict, and possibly even a full-blown war with Russia.

Competition for NATO

Through the creation of an EU Army, Berlin could also implement its own military plans - if necessary without Washington - and, at the same time, strengthen its political influence in relationship to NATO. The German government would be in a better position to prevail in German-US disputes, such as the current disputes about policies toward Ukraine or Russia [13] and hope to eventually achieve "eye level" [14] with the USA. Some transatlantic circles have, therefore, reacted angrily to Juncker's recent proposal. The creation of an EU Army is "wishful thinking" and - due to dissention between the individual EU member states - doomed to failure, writes the Springer publishing house's "Die Welt." Only NATO can guarantee a victorious intervention against Russia. NATO should, under no circumstances, be hampered through the creation of dual structures. "Anything that politically relativizes and weakens NATO is evil."[15]

[1] "Halten Sie sich an Frau Merkel. Ich mache das!" www.welt.de 08.03.2015.
[2] "Die europäische Einigung ist auch heute noch eine Frage von Krieg und Frieden". Bild 23.03.2007.
[3] Guido Westerwelle: Rede auf der 46. Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz - 06.02.2010. www.securityconference.de.
[4] See Particularly Close to Germany.
[5] Juncker will eine gemeinsame EU-Armee. www.tagesschau.de 08.03.2015.
[6], [7] Kommissionschef Juncker fordert eine EU-Armee. www.welt.de 08.03.2015.
[8] Claudia Major (SWP): Legitimation und Umrisse einer Europa-Armee. www.bmvg.de 02.01.2014.
[9] See The German Path to an EU Army (I), The German Path to an EU Army (II), The German Path to an EU Army (III) and Der deutsche Weg zur EU-Armee (IV).
[10] rbb: SPD-Fraktionsvize Mützenich für EU-Armee. www.finanzen.de 08.03.2015.
[11] See Driving Force for the EU Army.
[12] See On a Collision Course (II) und The Agenda 2020.
[13] See Dangerous Propaganda.
[14] See Auf Augenhöhe mit den USA.
[15] Michael Stürmer: Juncker-Idee einer EU-Armee schwächt die Nato. www.welt.de 08.03.2015.