The club of 5. Spain and Italy join the trio of Weimar on the European HQ
(BRUSSELS2) The Italian and Spanish Ministers for Foreign Affairs took advantage of the informal meeting in Sopot (Poland) to announce that they agreed with the Franco-German-Polish proposal to develop an autonomous European HQ to conduct European military operations maintain the peace. This new letter - signed by 5 ministers (the club of 5) - asks Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the EU, to " create common structures in the field of common defense and security ". A position that was taken after the failure of discussions between the 27 and the British veto on the establishment of this HQ.
Coming from countries such as Italy and Spain which have generally supported the development of a European defense policy - the first being more for the moment in words and the second in deeds - this is not a surprise. But it is an increased pressure, political, for the installation of this HQ. Other rallies could follow as well. It will then be necessary to count those who really want this HQ and those who do not want it. Then move on to a second more legal phase with the establishment of this HQ. We cannot, this time, claim a lack of legal basis; there are a number of mechanisms allowing this (ad hoc agreement, enhanced cooperation, permanent structured cooperation). As for the so-called competition with NATO, everyone knows that is a bogus excuse.
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