Revisiting EU Defense Is a Bad Idea

In September 2016, Europe’s leaders declared their intent to revisit the idea of forging closer military ties, including the creation of a new military headquarters. From the get-go, the new announcement was met with a voluminous stream of editorialising, from proponents and sceptics alike. Yet the latest calls miss the point, as they fail to address Europe’s pressing security challenges.

In the end, calling for the creation of a new military headquarters and for the EU to get serious about forging military ties ensures that Europeans will again sidestep the issues of spending more on defence, improving coordination, and strengthening NATO. The new European defence initiative sends the disturbingly familiar message that the EU’s leaders are poised for another round of talking institutional change in place of addressing hard-power dilemmas.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: 28 EU Defence ministers agree to move forward on European Defence http://www.europeansources.info/record/28-eu-defence-ministers-agree-to-move-forward-on-european-defence/

ESO: Background information: What chances for a real European Common Security and Defense Policy? http://www.europeansources.info/record/what-chances-for-a-real-european-common-security-and-defense-policy/

Blog: BlogActiv: EU-Logos, 12.10.16: Will the European Union have an army? The return of the Franco-German alliance https://eulogos.blogactiv.eu/2016/10/12/will-the-european-union-have-an-army-the-return-of-the-franco-german-alliance/

ECFR: ECFR’s World in 30 Minutes: European Defence, October 2016 http://www.ecfr.eu/podcasts/episode/ecfrs_world_in_30_minutes_european_defence

ECFR: Commentary, 20.10.16: European Defence: This time, could they really mean it? http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_european_defence_this_time_could_they_really_mean_it7154

Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 21.10.16: Forget a European Army, Start With European Training http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/64919

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