Posted on 06/06/2008 6:58:50 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
As MEPs debated EU military policy yesterday, the chairman of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee called for the Union to develop more 'hard power' military capability and spend more money on a European Army.
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski called for 'a common foreign and security policy, including a European army'.
He said MEPs should in future have the final say on military missions under the EU flag - a move which would strip member states of a fundamental responsibility.
France, which along with Germany and Poland has spearheaded support for greater EU defence capability, has already indicated that the issue will feature heavily in its presidency, starting next month.
The French are expected to call on member countries to boost defence spending and commit more helicopters and aircraft.
The proposals, to be unveiled by President Nicolas Sarkozy, will urge the creation of more of the rapid reaction formations - each consisting of 1,500 troops from member countries - which take turns to be on stand-by for EU peacekeeping or humanitarian missions abroad, wearing the Eurocorps badge.
Enthusiasts for these 'EU Battle Groups' see them as the most likely basis for a future European Army. There are currently 15, including one all-British formation, but the French are expected to push for a dramatic increase.
Opponents in Brussels responded by attacking current joint EU military efforts as 'impoverished and amateurish'.
Andrew Duff, a Liberal Democrat MEP and member of the European Council on Foreign relations, said many member states' armies were archaic and hamstrung by 'miserly' military budgets, so talk of ' burden-sharing' was often meaningless. He said recent research showed only a fifth of the two million troops across EU countries were in a fit state to be deployed abroad.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
If there is a company somewhere in the world that specializes in reverse gears … buy their stock now!!! ;-)
“France is plotting to create a Euro Army”
Usually when this happens every so often it’s called the German Army.
Yeah, no doubt this “army” will be more effective than the armed forces under the UN’s banner. [/HEAVY SARC] After all, who doesn’t want to risk their lives for the EU or UN? Ultimately, people are tribal—they will risk their lives for the tribe (or even the nation state) & the religion of the tribe, but not some multi-national bureaucracy.
ROFLMAO!!!
why on Gods green earth would the french be in a leading role in an European army, Hugo Boss has them trumped in uniforms. Maybe the mobile bordellos?
European Army. Laughable.
They'll all become dhimmis before that happens. They are well on the way now. The fruits of 50 years (or more) of innervating, atheistic socialism.
Are the frogs going to surrender to the Germans or the Poles?
Canada is quaking in its boots.
Do these guys plan to issue WHITE FLAGS to all of their troops??? Should be standard issue for the French bravehearts...
France and the EU, huh? Oh great, another victim we’ll have to liberate one day.
Personally, I would like to see Europe take on most of the expense for its own defense lightening our load. I think some people fear the rise of a neo-Fascist state in the EU however.
I wonder how inspired they think the troops will be, fighting for a gang of unelected bureaucrats in Brussells.
The sad thing is that the French military and the British, and maybe the Poles, are probably the best ones left, apart from the Swiss, who are purely defensive. And their weaknesses seem to be growing every day. The troops from most other European countries are blow-dried pansies who wouldn’t want to get their uniforms dirty.
Yes, I exaggerate, but not a whole lot. It certainly won’t improve matters to outlaw all national patriotism and fight for a faceless concept. The UN has demonstrated what that leads to.
They need to find some way of dealing with the Mulim hordes before it’s too late...
I hope the French succeed. Then the US can end this ridiculous idea of basing troops in Europe to defeat a resurgent Russia.
Good, now can the GIs come home and leave the EU to stew in its own juice ?
Time for them to put up or shut up.
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