G. Longuet: the momentum is maintained in Defense Europe

(BRUXELLES2) Gérard Longuet, the French Minister of Defence, held on Thursday (8 March) in front of a few journalists to draw a positive assessment of the 5 years of government under Nicolas Sarkozy. B2 was not there. But we had a little mouse…” Contrary to what we have said, after five years we can have a very uninhibited vision, and the results are rather satisfactory.t” on the Common European Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) explained the Minister who was holding one of these last press briefings before the start of the official campaign. We " have not made progress on all subjects but we have made progress on some points ". For Gérard Longuet, we should not be ashamed of the results. " Many operations - Georgia, Kosovo, Chad, piracy - were launched under the French presidency or under French impetus. Which is not quite an exception. If we look at the 24 operations launched over ten years ago, this has often been the case throughout the young course of the ESDP/CSDP. " The momentum is maintained ».

Do not oppose NATO or CSDP structures, everything can be the Europe of defense

It is not a question of building the Europe of defense against NATO, insisted the Minister. " We did not rejoin NATO by sacrificing the CSDP. The reintegration of the alliance command has made NATO more efficient and more European” he explains, with the example of Libya in support, an operation carried out essentially by European countries. And it is useless to oppose the institutions. " European defense policy is not conducted only in the EU. » For him, moreover, Europe cannot be separated from NATO Defense or from bilateral or multilateral work. " We work on the three aspects: CSDP, NATO, bilateral or multilateral agreements. And “working on only one institution is not the best way”.

Security is not just about operations

Also the fact that the European Union was also united on the Iranian file - on French impulse -, and even more so with the sanctions having their effect. They slowed down the Iranian nuclear program and pushed the regime to negotiate with the six powers – including 3 European countries. This is also all of the defense and security policy” he assures. It should be noted that these European sanctions go well beyond those of the UN Security Council, which are more limited because of Russian and Chinese red lines. Sometimes we can have disappointments as for example in Libya. While Europe's role has been decisive politically, with declarations and sanctions adopted very early on, military action has been less important. " We can deplore it. But the operation also highlighted capability gaps that can be filled by the EU”, as on motherships.

Europe has all the instruments to exercise its responsibilities in military matters

And Europe now has structures with the Lisbon Treaty, recalls the minister's entourage. " At the institutional level, there is progress: we have this post of High Representative. " Certainly " we can discuss the use of the instruments but the instruments are there. Europe even today has all the instruments to exercise its responsibilities in military matters and all the means to exist on the defense plan.. “The European Defense Agency in particular has been revitalized with the arrival of Me Arnould”. And the minister clarified: We do not yet have the permanent General Staff that France defends, because there is no agreement among all the ministers on this question. But I hope that when the time comes, we can institute it. » We can notice that there was a « consensus last February to continue to reflect on it, on the basis of the report of the High Representative”. " This option is not ruled out. On the contrary ».

The French advantage: its decision-making speed

The Minister also took up a refrain already developed on other occasions but which also deserves to be clarified. France has an advantage in military matters, it is " to be able to mobilize armies without prior parliamentary approval, to have a reactive army. We can easily command a UN operation, integrate into a multinational force...” This flexibility of the French command contrasts with that practiced, in particular across the Rhine. The Germans are obliged to go through the Bundestag; which is partly the cause of their non-intervention in Libya. " We have a control after 4 months, which is progress without restricting the action of the chief of the armies to initiate an operation. It is this speed of decision and action that has saved lives in Benghazi. There was a matter of days there. »

Comment: On Sunday, François Hollande presents his position on La Défense. It is no coincidence that G. Longuet speaks beforehand. But, right now, it is difficult to draw broad lines of fracture between PS and UMP, at least if we refer to what the socialist advisers say (in particular Louis Gautier) who also spoke on B2. Read also:

• In 2012, alternation and relaunch of European defense (open forum)
• Louis Gautier (PS): resuming the European project, thinking, acting, restructuring Europe