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It is only with the British that we advance. Defense Europe is hibernating, according to Guillaud

(BRUSSELS2) “ I am convinced that military Europe is not limited to the United Kingdom, but today the other countries do not want it. For the moment, we are only able to make progress with the British. » Here is how Admiral Guillaud, the French Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, summed up in a few sentences the situation of Defense Europe during his hearing at the National Assembly on October 5th.

Waiting for the European spring

The Chief of Staff is not expecting a "great evening"... but a springtime in Europe. " I therefore consider that Defense Europe is somewhat in hibernation, which means that an awakening will occur one day or another. I am therefore waiting for the European spring, especially since all my counterparts, especially the German ones, are convinced of its necessity, as are some of the industrialists »

The European Commission ignorant of European Defense

Responding shortly after to the deputy Christian Ménard of Morbihan who questioned him about the additional costs of the Atalanta operation, the admiral pointed the finger... " the European Commission, like the whole Brussels technostructure, (which) shows little appetite for anything military. The question of costs and additional costs, in particular those of Atalante, as well as that of its usefulness, is therefore very difficult to make understood there – even if this operation serves to protect international trade, therefore European. »

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).

2 thoughts on “It is only with the British that we advance. Defense Europe is hibernating, according to Guillaud"

  • From La Boisserie

    It seems that Admiral Guillaud is not surrounded by real experts on these issues!

    With regard to Franco-British cooperation, it would have been preferable for him to be in line with the positions just expressed by the Minister of Defense, Gérard Longuet:
    In front of the deputies of the Defence Committee, the minister recalled that "the British are determined to set with us the capabilities and objectives of the MALE drone in the long term. But we would like to make them understand that if we reach an agreement on the definition of the product, we could, in compliance with European directives, open a negotiation that is not a global call for tenders. We must convince them that, in our long-term conception, we want to have European suppliers starting with those who are most involved today, which would guarantee us with security the continuity of the development of the system. On the contrary, a global call for tenders could lead us to select suppliers who perform well at the moment and who are absent at the meeting during periods of evolution of supplies or repairs. We must encourage the British to share our conception of industrial policy. We should succeed in this".
    cf. http://www.marianne2.fr/blogsecretdefense/Drone-Gerard-Longuet-inquiet-quant-a-la-cooperation-avec-les-Britanniques_a402.html

    Regarding the European Commission's interest in defence and armaments issues, how could it have made the mistake of not noting in the State of the Union address delivered by President Barroso on 28 September to Parliament the considerable progress made by the following language: "... Let us also be realistic and recognise that for Europe to exert its full influence, if Europe really wants to be a power, we need to strengthen the Common Foreign and Security Policy. It must be credible. It must be based on a common security and defence dimension if we really want to count in the world. Gone are the days when some could oppose the idea of ​​a European defence for fear that it might harm the Atlantic Alliance. You have already noticed that today it is the Americans themselves who are asking us to do more as Europeans. The world has changed, the world is changing fundamentally. Do we really want to matter in the world?
    This is why at a time when defense budgets are under pressure, we must do more together with the means at our disposal. The Commission takes its share of the responsibility in this by continuing its efforts towards a single defense market and by taking advantage of the powers conferred on it by the Treaty to develop a European defense industrial base. […] Let's not be naive, the world is changing and if Europe wants to count in the world and defend the interests of these citizens, we need the political dimension and the defense dimension if we want to count and influence the future of the world. […]”?

    The time has come to restore France's capacity to act and to propose by ceasing to accuse its continental partners of not wanting to act! Because that is simply incorrect! And the near future will confirm it!

    To be continued !

  • Admiral in the pay of Chirac, Pffffff!
    Completely illegitimate, an association or Union does not have to have an army, this will be impossible!

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