German Media: The Call for EU "Joint Military" is Growing Louder

Reference News Network, February 6 According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on February 2, the world order is changing due to trade wars, political coercion, and the Greenland crisis... The law of power is gradually replacing the rules-based order. Transatlantic relations are facing a serious crisis, and NATO is also under scrutiny. Therefore, in recent weeks, an increasing number of European politicians have called for the establishment of a European defense alliance to reduce military dependence on the United States.

The European Commissioner for Defense and Space Affairs, Andrius Kubilius, has urged EU member states to consider forming a joint army. In a speech in Sweden, he proposed the establishment of a "European standing army with 100,000 soldiers" to defend the European continent in the event of a U.S. military withdrawal. Currently, about 100,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Europe, forming the core of European military power, and how to replace them is a matter of concern.

In early January, Armin Laschet, chairman of the German Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee, stated in an interview with German television that "the European defense alliance must be established now." He believes that many signs indicate that the EU's creation of a defense alliance is feasible, and even if not all 27 EU member states are willing to join, "core Europe"—including "Germany, France, Italy, and other interested countries"—must unite. Polls show that the public in EU countries holds a positive attitude towards the establishment of a European army.

European Parliament member Tobias Kremer also clearly supports the establishment of a European defense alliance. In an interview with this newspaper, he said, "We now live in a world of great power politics, and our own deterrence and defense capabilities are crucial."

Kremer believes that Europe has failed to fully leverage its potential in deterrence and self-defense capabilities, not due to a lack of resources, but because "we are acting independently in this area, failing to fully utilize the power of the internal market, and allowing short-term national self-interest to override common security interests."

Kremer pointed out that EU member states still rarely collectively order military equipment, and there are also issues such as lack of standardization, isolated defense projects, and insufficient interoperability, leading governments to pay "up to 30% premiums" for armaments and not receiving the attention they deserve in the international defense arena. He stated, "In an era of power politics, we not only face the risk of losing our negotiating position but may even become bargaining chips—just as we recently witnessed in the Greenland issue."

Kremer believes that "the European defense alliance is entirely possible to gradually form in the coming years." The Russia-Ukraine conflict has triggered profound conceptual and political shifts, making security and defense core issues in Europe, with almost all member states facing political pressure for joint action.

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, does not agree with Kremer's viewpoint.

Borrell argues that each EU country has its own military, which is already part of NATO, and "if a parallel structure is established, it will only create confusion." In the military field, a clear chain of command is crucial. A few days ago, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also rejected calls for the establishment of an independent European army.

The framework conditions for establishing a European defense alliance are already in place, but at least at the official level, the political will is not yet mature. European leaders publicly oppose the formation of a European defense alliance, perhaps to avoid deepening the doubts of the Trump administration in the United States about the NATO alliance. After all, most Western politicians and analysts agree on one point: at present, without U.S. involvement, Europe is unable to develop its own security and deterrence capabilities. (Translated by Zhong Sirui)