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Political and defence Europe (by Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

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Barnier rekindles the flame of the European Defense Community!

(BRUSSELS2) Speaking at Humboldt University in Berlin, for Europe Day, Michel Barnier insisted on having a proactive speech, particularly in matters of defense. He thus calls for “ relaunch the construction of a European Defense Community, if necessary within the framework of 'structured cooperation' (made) now possible with the Treaty of Lisbon".

A real structured cooperation project

Now Commissioner in charge of the Internal Market, Michel Barnier also chaired working group no. 8 devoted to Defense of the European Convention which led to the Treaty of Lisbon. So he knows a little bit of what he's talking about. For him, this cooperation can be structured around a few projects: “A real general staff, a systematic pooling of research and programming efforts and capabilities, a European preference for acquisitions. The Union must equip itself with a real permanent capacity for planning and conducting operations as Poland, Germany and France have desired. And the creation of a network of European consulates in the rest of the world bringing together at least the willing Schengen Area countries to work together and provide common aid to their compatriots. »

Objective: to become a robust and credible partner

It's not really a choice, he believes, but a necessity driven by a goal. “The challenge for Europe is to be ready to increasingly assume its own collective defense, but also to become a robust and credible partner of the United States. In terms of security (terrorism, cyber attacks, organized crime) or defense (regional conflicts, collective defense of the continent, nuclear proliferation), no European state can face all the threats alone. (And) the budgetary constraints are such for each of our countries, if it remains alone, that this would lead to strategic withdrawal for all. »

Strengthen the concept of a European Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The European Diplomatic Service, which should once again be called the European Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has an essential role, underlines the Commissioner. “ That of being the place, under the leadership of Catherine Ashton, of a common diplomatic culture. It cannot be the place where external policies which are already community-based, for development, neighborhood or trade, are unraveled in favor of simple cooperation between a few States. It must be the place where the crisis management instruments put in place over the past 10 years will be maintained and strengthened. » This " common diplomacy of Europeans – I did not say unique – must be built by the patient and voluntary pooling of expertise, geopolitical analyses, strategies and, when necessary, intelligence. »

Read speech text

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

One thought on “Barnier rekindles the flame of the European Defense Community!"

  • ALL FOR DEFENSE EUROPE
    DEFENSE EUROPE FOR ALL

    THANK YOU MICHEL BARNIER

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