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On November 5th, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the creation of a “real European army” by the European Union, during an interview with French radio station Europe 1.
“We will not be able to protect Europeans if we don’t decide to have a real European army,” he said, emphasizing that Europe should be defending itself in a “more sovereign way,” without depending “only on the United States.”
Macron also said that the main victim of US decision to withdraw from the INF with Russia is Europe. Thus, he called for “protection from China, Russia and even from the US,” suggesting that the Trump administration’s decision regarding the INF endangers European security.
“Who is going to be the main victim [of US President Donald Trump decision to leave the INF]? Europe and its security,” the president said.
US President Donald Trump announced the decision to withdraw from the INF on October 20th, accusing Russia of repeatedly violating the agreement. Russia has also accused the US of violating the agreement numerous times in the past. The Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Trump’s accusations and said that Russia would be forced to undertake steps to ensure its security if Washington begins developing weapons that were banned under the agreement.
Macron once again repeated his earlier calls for a “stronger, protective Europe,” and voiced his concern of the continent becoming “increasingly fractured,” due to the rise of nationalism.
On November 1st, he spoke to the Ouest-France newspaper, warning that the resurgence of nationalism and populism across Europe may sent the region in a situation similar to the 1930s. He claimed that his aim is to promote “a more sovereign and multilateral Europe,” that is not endangered by nationalism as well as the influence of foreign powers.
In September 2017, Macron also spoke of the need of a European Army.
Also, in 2017, but on November 13th, NATO Ministers of Defense signed the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) agreement in Brussels. PESCO is not yet a fully-fledged EU Army, however it is the main and only pan-European military cooperation product in the realm of military logistics and weapons manufacturing.
So far PESCO is mostly concerned with raising military budgets and attempting to conserve as much resources as possible. In June 2017, a European Defense Fund was established. The starting sum was €5.5 billion per year, which is tiny compared to the US $700 billion and above annual defense budget.
It would be spent in two ways: Integrating all security forces in the EU with each other, with a single security contour by 2021, as well as developing new technologies. The priority is given to unifying the armaments and the weapon systems in the region. The idea is that if PESCO succeeds and becomes a unified EU army, it would entirely substitute NATO.
The US is also pressuring Europe to increase defense spending, but mostly to buy US military equipment, instead of producing its own. Earlier in 2018, the European Commission announced that the bloc’s 2019 budget stipulated allocation of 245 million euros for the European Defence Industrial Development Programme.
However, quite a bit of effort would be needed to form a truly European defense that is independent from the US. On November 1st, German media reported, citing the German Defense Ministry, that out of 97 newly-delivered jets, helicopters and tanks to the Bundeswehr in 2017, only 38 were fully operational, which corresponds to a rate of 39%. The Bundeswehr has an aim of 70% of its weapons systems in operational readiness.
Thus, the need for improvements is glaringly apparent, otherwise the dependence on the US industry, NATO and staying in the Pentagon’s good spirits will continue.
France lost every war since 1859, when Napolean III defeated Austrian army. but it was hardly a real victory as the deathtoll was the same on both sides. Since that times France didn’t won any bigger battle and especially WW2 blitzkrieg was very embarassing. Does Macron want repeat the history ? French soldiers are hopeless and EU army would be even worse then French army..
What use is it to infinitely repeat memoid falsehoods? The French army, unlike e.g. the US has won real battles, not just wars where they had crushing superiority anyway. What war has the US ever actually won? (Not WWI+2, others did that for them).
Did France lose WW1? I must have misread my history books then. And the French army emerged victorious in WW2 as well, they occupied large swaths of Germany. Oh, you mean the French defeat in the 1940 Blitzkrieg? The same one that saw Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg surrender. Why don’t we make fun of those as well? Or how about the British army, which saw itself kicked off the continent at Dunkirk and called that a victory. And then went on for two more years of humiliating defeats in Greece, North Africa and the Far East, until the Americans came and broke their losing streak for them?
I too can make broad blanket statements that are meaningless.
A joke! Macron is simply the mouthpiece for banksters and Uncle Sam to get the EU to stupp up more money to pay for their own defence BUT allows the US to call the shots in any real war. Ha! Also where will this Eu get its armaments from Monseur Macron? Let me guess ,ready -made from Uncle Sam? So no new jobs or “know how “or security of supply for Europe ,ha?
Also ,this army will be so oiss weak,Russia,the only logical enemy will steamroll over it ,so who is it really to be used against? You guessed it! Innocent civilians who will bebprotesting against tge latest neoliberal economic,globalist laws brought our by vassal- to- America govs.
No thanks Mr Macron .Save it for the chumps!
European Army reads like Soros’s – Rothschild’s private army.
Yes use the different nations to occupy each other. And old but effective technique for imperial power and security.
Very true! Does Moron Macron really think that France will be tapped on the shoulder to lead this group? He has been outTrumped by Trump! He has been fooled into thinking it will an Independent -of-usa force and then he will be bait and switched once and if he succeeds! Uncle Sam will tap Germany-France’s eternal enemy -to lead the force once he succeeds in selling it to other Euro fools!
Macron’s mother/wife.
https://youtu.be/OOuWWzP7wl0
French President Calls For Eastablishment Of “Real European Army”
yeah.. that’ll give comfort to all the former colonies..
EU Army, like NATO, would never have a European CINC, and it would always be “helping” Americans (the bankers really) and any member state could not withdraw from operations over which they would not have any say anyways. An army for the corporations to put down the little people. It is a really, really stupid, and thoroughly nasty, idea.
Do you have a history of insanity? An EU army is necessary precisely in order to not be NATO or a bankster army… that’s why the British had to go. It would represent an independent Europe, the balance tip between East and West. No wonder the haters rage against it.
20 years ago I might have believed that for a short while. EU or the EU member governments never stand up to the globalist nonsense, they allowed Greece to be trashed, Merkel invited the immigrants in, they still hold to the regime change idea in Syria, this list goes on. There is nothing but globalism on offer with economic sanctions against anyone who doesn’t toe the line, and the EU army idea floated at the same time… If there was a clear fight back from Europe to oust the “Russian threat” and other nonsense I might believe you, but there isn’t. If 50% of EU stood up and said let us join the SCO I might believe that something good was afoot. But not now.
This has long been coming and it will come. Many, including me, have been saying so for many years. Trump’s foreign policy lunacy may serve as a catalyst, but so did Bush’s and Obama’s already. As I’ve said here before, breaking away from NATO and building something new takes time but it is on its way. New projects (Franco-German fighter) etc. Also, a major stumbling-stone, the British, have been removed by their glorious Brexit. Very dangerous things are brewing in the European fault line, i.e. the line running from the Baltic through Poland to Hungary and even Rumania and further down. These countries, at last Poland and Hungary are rapidly de-democratising and will be ideal launching platforms for anti-Russian aggression while sitting at the suture between “Old Europe” and Russia. The “Real Europe”, essentially France, Germany and the Benelux, need a strategic policy independent of NATO for sure. Joint brigades, e.g. Dutch-German ones, already exist. The foundations are laid.