Skepticism surrounds France's idea of establishing a 'European army' 0
NATO soldiers during a joint exercise in 2016. Photo: AFP.
French President Emmanuel Macron last week called for the creation of a `European army` to help the continent become more autonomous in ensuring security, less dependent on the US.
`The idea of establishing a European army is nonsense,` said Anand Menon, a professor of European political studies at London College.
The European Union (EU) is an organization that brings together 28 countries with the goal of unifying the economies and military of the members.
However, European countries may lose their autonomy when joining a common army.
Military cooperation in Europe currently applies a bottom-up form, in which countries choose the projects they want to participate in and then build a project leadership structure.
European countries are always divided on security issues, the only thing they have in common is finding a way to prevent war from breaking out with Russia.
`If established, a common European army will certainly not be deployed. It will only increase bureaucracy,` analyst Franz Stefan-Gady stated.
Commanded a German army unit in NATO.
The EU may coordinate foreign, security and intelligence policy within the organization, but mobilizing military force is an entirely different matter.
According to this expert, some European countries may be skeptical about France’s motives when proposing the establishment of a European army, especially with Macron, who enthusiastically supports and participates in air operations.
Some leaders may worry that European armies will become tools of France, especially if it wants to send troops to former colonies in Africa or participate in military campaigns that most countries
`Turning your back on NATO to establish a new armed force is just an illusion, and can even be counterproductive,` member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Arnaud Danjean emphasized.
