European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claims the EU needs “credible military capabilities”

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the EU needs “credible military capabilities” as well as saying that a European army would be seen as “complementary” to the NATO alliance. Ms Von der Leyen has said that the EU has “set up the building blocks of a European defence union” this is the latest sign that the bloc intends to create a full-fledged European army.

Ms Von Der Leyen said “It is complementary to NATO and it is different. There is a European way to foreign policy and foreign security policy where hard power is an important tool… but it is never the only one”. These comments are a clear continuation of the comments previously made by French President Macron in 2018, who said in 2018 that the continent needed its own military to “protect ourselves” from the United States of America. 

Brexiteer’s have long warned of the creation of a European army and Ms von der Leyen’s latest statements in Davos will confirm these. In contrast the Remain campaigners that labelled the idea a “dangerous fantasy” during the 2016 Brexit campaign, and they may feel aggrieved that they have been made to look a little foolish. Ms von der Leyen has long been a champion for a European army. In the summer of 2019 whilst serving as the head of the defence ministry in Germany, she wrote  that: “Europe’s army is already taking shape. Germany and France are the driving forces in defence. We’re moving even further ahead with our close partner France”. 

Only last month Fabrice Leggeri who is the head of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), said that the force which is now comprised of approximately 750 troops is set to expand to a force of 10,000 “civilian troops”, who “will be able to deploy to an EU member-state and exercise executive powers such as carrying out border controls. We don’t have a military army, but we will have, let’s say, civilian troops wearing a European uniform. And for certain functions carrying weapons,”. Thank goodness that Britain will not be part of this madness. 

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