Ashton's security strategy: ambition close to 0°

(BRUSSELS2) Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, was also in Munich, where she spoke
a general portrait of European politics. " The days when EU foreign policy could be dismissed as talk and no action are behind us. she congratulated herself. Of course, there is still work to be done. " We need to develop additional capabilities for modern crisis management. (...) We must respond flexibly, quickly and effectively she clarified.

Threats are global and we depend on our partners to act. To decide to act, Catherine Ashton sets two imperatives: First, be clear about what (our) political strategy is and ensure that the means and objectives are granted. Second, to have a broad view (of the situation). None of the threats we face are purely military in nature. We should always mobilize the full range of tools at our disposal. (...) But even if we have our coordinated policies and the political will to act, Europe alone will not be able to solve the threats already mentioned (1). In a deeply interdependent world where threats are global, everyone needs partners”. And the High Representative listed these partnerships: NATO in the Balkans and in Afghanistan, OSCE in the Balkans in Georgia, African Union in Somalia... As for the Russian proposal for European security, Catherine Ashton does the minimum service: “ We are open to discussing ideas that could enhance security
European » ; she insists on one point:OSCE must take first place in talks on Russian initiative for European Security Treaty, and adds: States must be free to join the Security Alliance they wish ". Well ! Hillary Clinton could not have said it better on this point.

Comment: generalities and an ambition close to zero! This discourse cannot hide the fact that the High Representative does not at any time come out in favor of European autonomy of action. To say that we need the OSCE and NATO to act in the Balkans and in Georgia reveals a singular lack of ambition and is, above all, false. Europe is fully capable of acting alone in these two areas! (which does not prevent acting in interconnection with other organizations. Similarly, by dint of expanding security threats to everything and anything (the mafia, immigration, etc.), politics defense and security becomes a palliative for other "internal" policies. This is to forget that what constitutes the soul, the heart of CSDP action is to prevent an external attack, to bring back or preserve the stability of a country. In a nutshell: peace. In fact, very often, the High Representative of the EU takes up, with a slight polish, a position that is more US than EU. Fortunately the German Foreign Minister's speech is far more ambitious for Europe!

(1) “ We live in a world of growing complexity with many threats and challenges, such as failed states, terrorism, organized crime, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, cyber-security. Broader issues affect the security of our citizens: energy, climate change and access to natural resources, illegal immigration and human trafficking”.

(photo credit: Münich Security Conference, Kai Moerk - Catherine Ashton in discussion with German Defense Minister Zu Gutenberg)