In 2012, alternation and relaunch of European defense (open forum)
(B2 - free stand) Louis Gautier, defense specialist at the PS, sent me a "paper" which contributes to the debate on European defense in the light of the current electoral campaign.
“The euro crisis completely obscures the disease of languor which has affected European defense for several years. The ambition, displayed in the Treaty of Maastricht, affirmed in the Treaty of Nice and reinforced by that of Lisbon, is broken down on the political, military and industrial levels. Today, defense Europe appears devastated. After 2007, no major military or industrial cooperation project, no real progress in the concrete implementation of the CSDP has been recorded.
This disaffection is all the more worrying as it signals a weakening of convictions that Europeans collectively have to take up the challenge of their common destiny in the Union. The differences of opinion on Libya, the non-concerted decisions on Afghanistan, the absence of a stabilized position on the DAMB, the centrifugal tendency manifested by the narrow project of Franco-British cooperation are all signs of a worrying weakening of the spirit of European defence. If we add to this, the continuation of the budgetary disarmament of Europe initiated 20 years ago but reinforced by the crisis, there is every reason to be alarmed.
The XNUMXst century does not shelter Europe from danger even if, militarily, it is no longer at the heart of global strategic issues. However, the American military disengagement from the Old Continent, the relative retraction of the United States' position in the Mediterranean, their eclipsed concerns with regard to Africa should encourage Europeans to define and ensure themselves more directly certain of their security interests.
Leave the institutional quarrels...
In this respect, the questions arise in the same terms for NATO and the EU: what vision, what concept, what European strategic means? The absence of answers today hinders both the proper functioning of NATO and the affirmation of the EU. Therefore, the institutional quarrels should stay behind us.
It is still necessary to be aware that the consolidation and rationalization of European military capabilities cannot be done without a political project and that this necessarily takes place first and foremost in the EU, which constitutes the relevant framework of definition. Compared to the policy pursued by Nicolas Sarkozy, who turned his back on European defence, political alternation in France should therefore seek to promote a revival of the construction of European defence.
Faced with the ambient skepticism, it is not a question of repeating "Defence Europe, Defense Europe" like a mantra but above all of being pragmatic:
- by continuing efforts to deepen the Franco-British defense relationship, but also by revitalizing Franco-German cooperation and by promoting convergence with all our European partners and in particular the Belgians, Spaniards, Italians and Poles who are applicants;
- by exploring all avenues for rationalizing the military apparatuses of EU member countries: pooling of existing national resources, collective programming of future equipment, specialization of tasks, strengthening of common capabilities, convergence criteria, etc.;
- by simultaneously working towards the consolidation of the European technological and industrial base, which presupposes bringing together companies, support for the aeronautical and defense research effort, choices in terms of the selection of skills and capabilities criticism but also attention paid to the conditions of competition on the domestic market and export competition;
- by acting without exception within the full framework of the EU and CSDP institutions, within NATO in particular to develop European synergies and through "structured" or "ad hoc" multinational cooperation.
In terms of European defence, concrete results must take precedence over the spirit of the system. Someone still needs to relight, in France, the European torch extinguished by the headwinds that blew it during Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency. »
Louis Gautier
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Mr. Gautier delivers a kind of intentional catalog which is quite similar to what we have been able to read on the subject, within Europe for many years. What would be the events that could cause both an awareness of the fragility of our state and a series of decisions likely to initiate a change...?
I see within the European geographical whole 2 poles of recurring instabilities; on the one hand the Balkan Europe center whose integration we are told is on the right track and the Mediterranean basin whose southern and eastern shores form the two jaws of the pincers illustrating the present crisis and the one to come….. Who are we? speaks of these difficulties with the evocation of a possible Defense for our countries? A defense structured around means, legitimized by political options and EXPLAINED to the Peoples concerned…..