Defence policy Archives

Poland can have only one answer to the French visions for a common approach in European defence, writes Andrzej Talaga. And that answer is no.

Seemingly, 25 May was the ‘Day the Music Died’ at NATO. Few have missed the turmoil around US President Donald Trump’s Brussels visit. But the real story has flown under the radar, reveals Anna Wieslander.

As politicians in France and Germany debate launching a common European defence policy, Jean-Thomas Lesueur rings the alarm over the worrying state of the continent’s military capabilities.

Calls for a more militarised Europe have grown and grown, while the EU Council recently concluded that “Europe must commit additional resources” to defence. But increasing military expenditure is not the way forward, warn Bram Vranken and Laëtitia Sédou.

Long treated as a marginal aspect of the European Union’s wider Common and Security Policy, defence has emerged as a top priority on the European agenda. Successive EU and member state initiatives in 2016 have catapulted defence to centre-stage, writes Jorge Domecq.

The EU is increasingly taking a pro-military stance, as the arms lobby exercises more influence. The election of Antoni Tajani last week as European Parliament president means the arms industry's influence will grow further in the coming years, warns Bram Vranken.

In an era of new challenges and growing instability, the European Union cannot stand passively by and watch as its military posture in the world diminishes, writes Joseph Daul.

The refugee crisis, the election of Donald Trump, the UK’s Brexit vote and the ever-present threat of terrorism, mean current conditions seem right for EU governments to take steps toward deeper military coordination or even integration, writes Richard Maher.

Deadly clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces in early April 2016 reminded the world once again of the danger posed by the simmering Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is playing out in close proximity to Europe’s borders, warns Azad Garibov.

The European Union’s new border guard agency is meant to remedy the failings of its predecessor, Frontex. Dr Lisa Watanabe asks whether the EBCG will be endowed with what Frontex lacked.

Defence can no longer be looked at simply from a national perspective. European defence is stronger than the sum of its parts and it needs greater cooperation in defence innovation, in cutting-edge capabilities, in research and technology. And it needs to happen now, argues Jorge Domecq.

The forthcoming UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants need not be another missed opportunity. UN member states must involve the private sector and local authorities to finally address the global refugee crisis, writes Solon Ardittis.

Whilst EU leaders and policymakers have struggled to maintain the security of the EU’s external physical border, the financial border is wide open to all. At a time of focus on the funding of EU extremism from third countries this is a worrying weakness, writes Tom Keatinge.

Whatever happened on Friday 15 July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emerged stronger than ever and can now arrest anyone he wants on charges of treason, writes George Friedman.

Tomasz Poręba discusses the ever-growing threat coming from Russia and the importance of the upcoming Warsaw NATO Summit in order to strengthen Europe’s eastern border.

While all Europeans have become hostages of the Brexit talks, the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini on Tuesday (28 June) offered a reassuring project for angry and worried European citizens, writes Damien Helly.

The real risk is that a UK exit could lead to the departure of other member states, writes Paul James Cardwell.

France is confronted with a dilemma: Its arms deal with Russia jeopardizes Europe’s security. At the same time, the deal is crucial for its own arms industry. The EU could help out by buying the ships, write Claudia Major and Christian Mölling.

EU leaders have missed a key opportunity to bring new momentum to common security and defence policy (CSDP) at their December EU summit. National prerogatives still prevail in key areas, preventing the EU from making bold strides forward, writes Lisa Watanabe. 

While Europe is cutting its defence budgets due to the financial crisis, emerging countries are strengthening their military power, leading to a geopolitical shift in the international arena, writes Gergely Varga.

Low defence spending is undermining both Europe's ability to guarantee its own security and relations with the United States, argues Michael Berendt.

If Europeans want their ambitions to be taken seriously, they must find ways of dealing with their decline in military power, writes Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, a former Danish minister of foreign affairs.

The moment is ripe for Europe to redefine its narrative in order to better cope with future challenges, writes Giles Merritt, editor of Europe's World and head of Brussels-based think-tank Friends of Europe and the Security & Defence Agenda.

US President Barack Obama's security strategy is a clear departure from that of its predecessor and a decisive step towards solving the challenges of the 21st century and preparing us for the world of tomorrow, writes Javier Solana, the European Union's former High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy.