The Command Post - Op-Ed - <b>Greeks moderating EU defense push</b>

March 29, 2003

Greeks moderating EU defense push

I thought France was our friend again:

Greece endorses the idea of a European Union summit on defense but said that any move toward closer cooperation among the 15 union members must involve dialogue with the United States, the government spokesman said yesterday.
Asked about the move by Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg demanding closer integration of defense policies with the ultimate goal of forging a European defense policy distinctive from that of the United States, Press Minister Christos Protopappas called the proposal Ťstrategically correctť but repeated the point raised by Prime Minister Costas Simitis at a parliamentary debate on Thursday that the four cannot create a Ťhard coreť of countries cooperating more closely on defense and that a common defense policy must involve every EU member.

"Hard core" of defense? With what? Are these countries with struggling economies and pacifist stances going to suddenly start pouring billions into militaries? It seems unlikely. And what is a "European defense policy distinctive" from what the United States has? This is a clear effort to continue consolidation of the EU into a France-and-Germany-led world power to stand in opposition to the United States, an effort of some years duration but revealed more clearly during the debate over the war in Iraq. For this to continue to heat up while the war in Iraq is ongoing is a clear sign of opportunism on the part of France et al, and further evidence that, notwithstanding the public protestations of de Villepin, France is determined to regain its "rightful" place as a world power even if it has to effectively colonize all of Europe to do so.

Posted By susanna cornett at March 29, 2003 07:40 AM | TrackBack

Comments

they already do pour billions into their militaries, France and Germany together are a $3 Trillion economy, approximately 30% the size of the US. France has an independent home mde nuclear force and Germany the most powerful army in Europe.

Posted by: angryYkook at March 29, 2003 08:41 AM

Do we include the UK as being "in Europe"? I don't think that anyone really believes that the German armed forces are more powerful than the UK forces. I Turkey "in Europe"? Certainly Turkish military forces could overwhelm what Germany has. The EU absolutely should budget a strong military if they wish to have more say over international policy. As it stands, they have reaped for 60 years a peace dividend of having US forces protect them, and all we get in return is carping. Rather than seek to make the US military an instrument of the UN, why don't they pay their way?

Posted by: Dan Collins at March 29, 2003 09:40 AM

the UK has the capacity for global deployment and of course a nuclear component. one on one the german army and to some extent air force would outmatch the UK by virtue of numbers, the German navy would be no match.

Posted by: angryYkook at March 29, 2003 10:26 AM

Numbers have little to do with real military potential. The only credible military force in EU outside of Britain is the french "force frappe", I think they used to call it. Their nuclear deterrent. The french, belgian, German and Dutch armies are so socialized that they would amount to nothing on the battle field. Notice that when they french need to do somthing militarily, they use the Foreign Legion, which is specifically composed of non-french.

Posted by: Tom Kince at March 29, 2003 01:07 PM

The talks about that have been going on for years. Now, when the french government (not only chirac... all governments since miterrand) are unable to make changes in the CAP or anything relating to tax because of their electoralism, how do they intend to force an increased tax for funding a EU defense?

Regardless, of individual armies, the talks here are about a common EU army which could only be achieved after a common foreign policy is drawn. And as we're seeing that is FAR from being done.

The defence of the EU countries has been guaranteed and is completely dependant on the US/NATO for the past 50 years. Look at Kosovo.

I do see positive in all these crisis about Iraq. For the first time EU countries have publicly accused France and Germany of trying to impose their view as the whole EU view. As small as this might seem to many, it's a big step towards establishing a rightful balance of power here in the EU.

And no, Turkey isn't part of the EU. EU, today refers to the 15 member states.

Again... talks talks talks but when the time comes to show each countries' true colors, we see that too much remains to be done before anything becomes a reality.

Posted by: ally at March 29, 2003 03:01 PM