From World War II to Trump: Europe's failures to achieve military independence

BrusselsDonald Trump's return to the White House and his constant threats against NATO's European allies have reignited the debate about the European Union's military dependence on the United StatesEU leaders are speaking insistently about autonomy in defense matters, and it is expected to be one of the central themes of the Munich Security Conference, which began this Friday. There is even growing support for a body similar to and parallel with the Atlantic Alliance, but with strictly European roots. However, although this is a long-standing aspiration, dating back to the end of World War II, it has never fully materialized.

The first and most ambitious attempt came just after the creation of NATO, in which the United States and many of its European partners joined forces against the expansion of the Soviet Union. The fact that the Atlantic Alliance was controlled de facto The Pentagon encouraged the members of the then European Coal and Steel Community to want to create the European Defence Community.

The governments of the states that formed the European project had already agreed to create the organization in 1952, but some allies, such as France and Italy, had reservations, and at the last minute Paris backed out. France is protective of its military autonomy and has historically opposed ceding powers to Brussels in defense matters. It is the only EU country that possesses a nuclear arsenal and also the only NATO ally that is not part of the Alliance's nuclear program.

Juraj Majcin, analyst of the think tank The European EPC explains to ARA that France's decline was due to two main reasons: the death of Joseph Stalin, which was seen as the end of the most expansionist USSR, and the start of the Korean War, which diverted attention and the potential danger posed by the conflict between the capitalist and communist blocs away from the European continent. Furthermore, the expert points out that France was in a weakened state due to the crisis of the Fourth Republic and was developing nuclear capabilities that it did not want to share with the rest of Europe.

Trapped in the Nation-State

On the other hand, Xavier Hernández Cardona, a history professor at the University of Barcelona, ​​points out that the lack of a European defense union and the dependence on the Pentagon is a consequence of the European partners' "failure" to create a "supranational nation-state." "Member states proved resistant to ceding powers, and the current trend is a rise in nation-state nationalism," the expert notes.

In any case, the EPC researcher clarifies that the European Defence Community would not have been completely independent either. Its treaties provided for "coordination" with NATO, which had already been created and was under US command.

The Eurocorps

Beyond France, the EU's main military power and a long-time advocate for greater autonomy, the European allies have also taken small steps toward military union over the past few decades. With the end of the Cold War, Paris and Berlin—later joined by other partners—assumed a reduced US military presence in Europe and created Eurocorps, a rapid reaction force capable of reaching 60,000 troops in an emergency. However, it is under the command of both the EU and NATO. In the same context, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first legal framework for joint military policy was included in the EU's Maastricht Treaties of 1992. The first joint operations of the European bloc did not occur until 2003, and with the creation of the European Defence Agency, coordination and cooperation increased.

In recent years, with Josep Borrell at the helm of the EU's Foreign Affairs and Defense portfolio, Brussels attempted to create a kind of European army, which ultimately amounted to little more than other European rapid reaction forces. It also promoted the first steps toward a joint defense industry strategy, and last year the European bloc began rolling out the Great Rearmament Plan, which also includes various joint initiatives, particularly regarding financing to increase weapons capabilities.

The current European Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, is increasingly pushing for greater military autonomy. The former Lithuanian prime minister's latest proposal is to create joint armed forces at the European Union level and, for example, replace the 100,000 US troops stationed at bases across the continent. He also proposes creating an EU Security Council that would include close allies such as the United Kingdom—the second largest military power in Europe—Norway—key to Arctic security—and the European Commission and the Council of the EU, the EU body representing member states.

Despite Kubilius's statements, which are supported by some states like Spain, this is not currently the general consensus. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, herself ruled out establishing a European military organization parallel to NATO last week. And, in fact, this is the position of a large part of the Eastern European countries, those that feel most dependent on the Pentagon's protection and fear Russian expansionism the most. In any case, defense autonomy is now one of the major debates in the EU. This week, in fact, an EU Defense Council meeting, a meeting of NATO defense ministers, and the Munich Conference were held. One of the main themes that has hovered over the meetings has once again been how to move towards so-called European military independence.