Europe is waking up? A shock trio in France
(B2) It is a shock trio that has been put in place by the new French President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to manage European and defense issues.
A shock trio on the track for Europe
Between Jean-Yves Le Drian, to "Europe and Foreign Affairs" who has surveyed, during these last five years spent at Defense, many capitals and particularly knows certain officials in Africa, the Middle East but also in Europe, Marielle de Sarnez, delegated to "Europe", which benefits from the networks of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament and in several European capitals and sylvie goulard, to the "Armies", which is particularly well established in Rome or Berlin, without forgetting the diplomatic cell of the Elysée Palace, headed by an experienced diplomat, Philippe Etienne, and President Macron himself, France has of a shock avant-garde, fine connoisseur of European issues, not fooled by procedures and endowed with serious interpersonal skills. Even if differences in tactics could appear, we have here a fairly homogeneous team which could, in terms of Europe of Defence, allow France to go ahead and train partners (1).
Finally !
The major project started on defence, qualified as a priority for European recovery, should thus benefit from a clear French impetus. Finally ! Under François Hollande, there were ideas, good intuitions, projects... but he missed the decision at high level, an important commitment. The Paris-Berlin agreement, an essential point for advancing European defense policy, has often been artificial, or at least insufficient to significantly change the situation. However, some premises have been laid down.
A conjunction of the stars
Both the security and political context are favorable to this. Between the multiple threats, the budgetary stakes, the American uncertainty and the Turkish mystery, without forgetting the Russian harshness at the borders, the Europeans no longer really have any other choice but to work more together. More by reason than by passion. In Brussels, both Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the Commission, Antonio Tajani, in the European Parliament, or Federica Mogherini, the head of European diplomacy, are all determined to push this dossier.
Would the sleeping beauty wake up?
Illustration of this conjunction of the stars, the Ministers of Defense of the 28 came to an agreement on Thursday (18 May) to finalize the establishment of a mini military headquarters in Brussels. A project that has been on hold for more than ten years. Admittedly, this HQ will only be made up of a few dozen people. And he will only command three (small) missions. But these missions are placed at strategic points in Africa. In Mogadishu (Somalia), Bamako (Mali) and Bangui (Central Africa), European soldiers are training their African counterparts. A task that is not easy. As for the European Commission, it is fine-tuning a program intended to co-finance certain European military capabilities. One more brick for the future Defense Fund, desired in Paris as in Berlin.
Find an agreement between Paris and Berlin
Between the two capitals, however, everything is not yet perfectly welded. The establishment of a "permanent structured cooperation" of defense arouses differences on both sides of the Rhine. Do we need a “very tough” core ready to intervene in conflicts? The French option. Or do you need a fairly large platform of countries to carry out tailor-made projects, training or operations? The German option. Opinions still diverge… This will be the first full-scale test of our shock trio on European defense.
Nicolas Gros-Verheyde, in Brussels
Extended version of the paper published in Sud-Ouest Dimanche, with a very graphic front page that asks the right question
(1) What is essential. Read : Between Europeans and Americans, there is no misunderstanding but differences
